Sourdough Spelt Loaf - A Yeast Free Bread!
A rich mix of whole wheat, spelt flour, and molasses for a hearty loaf that pairs wonderfully well with stew and roast.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Sourdough Starter
- 1 1/4 Cups Warm Water*
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp. Molasses
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat
- 2 Cups Spelt Flour more to get consistency correct
- 1 Tbsp. Avocado or Olive Oil
Instructions
- Combine the 1/2 cup of starter, 1 1/2 cups of warm water, 1 tsp. of sea salt, and 1 Tbsp. of molasses in a large bowl or the bowl of your high-powered mixer fixed with the dough hook.
- Add the flour a cup at a time until it incorporates with every addition. Be careful not to add too much extra flour. Spelt dough is always sticky and wet, so don't let it fool you. When the flour is done absorbing the liquid, it will clear the sides of the lower half of the bowl.
- Knead the dough for ten minutes by hand or eight minutes with your mixer. As you begin to knead, pour the 1 Tbsp. of oil onto your clean work surface and knead it into the dough. I sometimes add an extra tablespoon of oil, so feel free.
- After incorporating the oil, lightly wet your hands and work surface as you continue to knead to keep the dough from turning into a sticky mess. Don't add to much water, just enough to keep the dough from adhering to you, your work surface...your walls, your toddler, etc.
- After the elapsed time, give it a few more kneads just to be sure the dough it even and roll into a ball. Put into a clean, greased bowl big enough for the dough to double in size.
- Cover the bowl with a lid, beeswax wrap, or plastic wrap. Place it in a warmish place to rise six hours or even overnight (12 hours).
- After at least six hours, turn the dough out of the bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to relax before you shape it.
- Grease a loaf pan for a sandwich bread or a cupcake pan for easy dinner rolls. You could also use a deep sided baking dish for rolls - this creates a kind of pull-apart roll-loaf because the soft shape of the spelt dough will relax. It's quite delicious and soft!
- Roll the the dough into a smooth log to fit into your loaf pan. Or cut the dough into 12 equal portions, rolling them into small balls and putting them into the cupcake pan or dish. Allow them to rise about 2 hours, or until you can gently push a finger into the dough and have it slowly come back up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Score the top of your loaf.
- Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted thermometer reaches 180°F/82°C. Bake the rolls for about 20-25 minutes. Rolls are more susceptible to over-browning, so if you know your oven runs hot, keep an eye on them.**
- Remove the breads or rolls from the pans and allow them to cool completely. I'm supposed to tell you that part so that the bread and rolls keep their form. However, if I'm serving this bread for dinner, I plunk it down on the table hot and everyone tears into it to slather butter all over it without stopping to look at its form.
Notes
This recipe can be doubled.
If your starter isn't currently active, in other words if it needs to be fed, you can still use it in your sourdough bread recipes. This may make some newbie sourdough bread bakers nervous since it goes against most recipes. However, if you're feeling adventurous and/or you just forgot to feed your starter, I challenge you to do an experiment and use your unfed starter in this recipe.
You will see that the initial rise/ferment time is just like a regular feeding for your starter but massive! Instead of feeding it 1/2 cup of flour, you've just given it 5-6 cups. It will happily eat its way through that and rise for you like normal. Some bakers report that unfed starter works even better than fed starter.
Remember that spelt flour is sticky when wet, so don't be tempted to add a lot more flour. Use water or oil to keep your hands slick while mixing the dough, but as Melissa advises, just plan to have sticky dough hands at the end.
*If your finished loaf is too dense for your liking, consider reducing the 1 1/4 cup of water in the initial mix by just a bit to compensate for the slight amount of water added to your hands and work surface during kneading.
For soft sandwich loaves and rolls, stoneware is recommended for even baking. If you'd like to develop that artisan crunchy crust, learn how to use a Dutch oven for baking your sourdough breads (tutorial link in the article; directions also included in Melissa Richardson's book, Beyond Basics with Natural Yeast).
You may also use honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or any other sweetener you prefer. I love molasses for its rich flavor and mineral content.
**My grandma once told me that the bread is nearly done when you can smell it throughout the house.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!