Spelt Sourdough Bread Recipes

SPELT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in the bowl and stir until it is well combined. The dough will have a rough, chunky look.
• Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth. Approximately 10 to 12 minutes. (Essentially, you are massaging the dough by stretching and pushing. This will help develop the gluten.) At this stage, it will be wet and sticky. Try not to add more flour or your finished bread will be dense and heavy. The dough will stick to your hands and feel messy but if you get your hands wet it won't stick as easily.
• Place the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it so oil coats the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours (see notes) or in the refrigerator overnight. (A longer proof time in the fridge will give the bread a more complex, sourdough flavor.)
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and form it into a round ball. (See notes)
• Place the ball of dough into a proofing basket or any container that is the shape that you want your bread to be shaped. (See notes)
• Let the dough rise again a second time for 3 to 6 hours** at room temperature until almost doubled in size. (Or you could let it rise in the fridge overnight for 12 to 15 hours)
• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the Dutch oven inside so it gets hot. It should take 20 to 30 minutes to preheat the Dutch oven.
• Place a piece of parchment on a board then lay it on top of the proofing basket. Flip the board and basket so the basket is on top then remove the basket.
• When the oven is hot, use the parchment paper to place the bread into the Dutch oven. Make a slash in the loaf with a sharp knife. For an extra burst of steam and a slightly higher rise, spray the dough with a bit of water.
• Bake for 20 minutes then remove the lid and finish baking for another to 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.

WHOLE SPELT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• Follow the instructions in the video.
• Bake at 450 for 45 minutes or until internal temp is 195-200.

NO-KNEAD SOURDOUGH SPELT BREAD

Steps:

• Measure 1/2 cup sourdough starter into a bowl and add 1 cup water. Mix well.
• In a second bowl, add 3 cups spelt flour and the salt. Whisk well to distribute the salt with the flour.
• Pour the starter mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt.
• Use your hand to mix well in a roughly formed ball.
• Cover the bowl with a towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Remove the ball from the bowl, fold it over a number of times, and then form it into a round. (See video.)
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. Place round on the covered baking sheet. Dust the top of the dough with flour, cover with a cloth, and allow to rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours until double in size.
• While the dough is rising, place your Dutch oven with lid into your cooking oven and preheat oven to 500°F.
• When the dough has doubled in size on your covered baking sheet, remove your Dutch oven from your cooking oven. Your Dutch oven will be hot, so use potholders and be careful. Remove the Dutch oven lid. Lift parchment paper with dough on it and place the paper and dough into your Dutch oven. Place the lid back on and transfer your Dutch oven back into your cooking oven.
• Bake bread in your covered Dutch oven for 30 minutes.
• Next, remove lid from your Dutch oven and allow bread to continue baking inside your cooking oven for 5-10 minutes more until golden brown.
• Using pot holders, remove your Dutch oven from your cooking oven, and then continuing to use pot holders, remove the bread from your Dutch oven by lifting it out using the parchment paper.
• Transfer bread on parchment paper to a cooling rack.
• Allow bread to cool, then slice with a serrated knife, and enjoy with butter.

NO KNEAD SPELT SOURDOUGH BREAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the sourdough starter and water. Use your hands to gently mix the dough until it is completely incorporated and sticking to your fingers. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is 1 1/2 to 2 times in size (7-8 hours or more depending on how active your sourdough starter is).
• When the first rise is complete, place your heavy cast iron pot with lid into the oven and pre-heat the oven and the pot to 475 degrees F. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. The pot needs to pre-heat for at least 30 minutes.
• Generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Using lightly floured hands gently pat the dough out into a rectangle. With your dough spatula (or a large flipper) fold one short side of the dough into the middle and then fold the other short side on top. Then fold the dough in half the other direction. Dust lightly with flour, cover with plastic and let rest for 5 minutes. While you are waiting, line a medium sized bowl with parchment paper, using your fist to push the paper down into the bowl and your other hand to crease the paper around the inside and top edge of the bowl.
• Repeat the folding process outlined above a second time, let the dough rest for 5 minutes and then repeat folding process a third time. With lightly floured hands, lift the dough and place it into the parchment lined bowl seam side down. Cover with plastic and place on the counter next to the stove for 20 minutes for the second rise. To test if the dough is ready, press, do not poke, the tip of one floured finger quickly and lightly, about half an inch, slightly off center, into the crown of the dough (area of maximum expansion). If the indentation remains but springs back slightly, the dough is ready for the oven. If the dent fills in, give the dough another 5-10 minutes to rise and re-test.
• Remove the plastic covering from your bread dough. Using heat resistant pot holders, carefully remove the pot from the oven and remove the lid. Using both hands, lift the dough out of the bowl by holding all corners of the parchment paper and lower it into the pot. The edges of the parchment paper will brown, but will be just fine in the hot oven.
• Working quickly dust the top of the bread with flour using a small sieve (optional). Use a sharp pair of scissors to make 3-4 shallow cuts at a 45 degree angle along the center line of the dough to assist in "oven spring". Cover the pot with the lid and put it back into the oven. Reduce the heat to 450 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the lid and place a large baking sheet or tin foil on the rack underneath the pot (to help prevent burning on the bottom) and continue baking for another 10 minutes until the bread is a lovely chestnut color but not burnt. Use a heatproof spatula or pot holders to carefully lift the bread out of the hot pot and place it on a rack to cool thoroughly. If you have an instant read thermometer, the bread is done when the internal temperature is 190-200 degrees F.