Baking Bread With Spelled: Here’s How

Spelled is great for baking bread

If you bake bread yourself, you always know exactly what’s in it. You can vary the ingredients individually. It starts with the choice of flour. Spelled flour is said to be more digestible than wheat flour, but this has not yet been scientifically proven.

• The basic ingredients for a simple bread are 500 grams of flour, 300 to 350 ml of water, a raising agent, and some salt.
• You can mix the different types of flour as you like, from mild, that is type 450, to type 630 to type 1050, dark and strong.
• Tartar baking powder is just as suitable as a raising agent as fresh yeast, dry yeast, baking ferment, or sourdough.
• Depending on which raising agent you use, the preparation time will be longer. Because for recipes with yeast and sourdough you have to factor in the rising time. For yeast, this should be at least an hour for the dough to double in volume. With sourdough, this can be two to three hours, depending on how well the lactic acid bacteria penetrate the dough.
• Spelled bread dough is a bit delicate. You should therefore knead it no longer than necessary and quickly shape it into a loaf. If you knead it too much, it loses its airy, loose structure and cannot regain it in the oven.
• Put the raw bread dough in a loaf pan and bake according to the instructions in your recipe.
• You can dust the bread with a little water from time to time during the baking process. A simple spray bottle works well for this. This will help brown the crust. Alternatively, place an ovenproof bowl of water in the oven.
• Tip: spelled absorbs less water than wheat. Therefore it can happen that your bread becomes too dry. For the next baking, use sourdough as a leavening agent and a so-called swelling piece. Both ensure that the spelled bread becomes juicier.
• With the swelling piece, simply let some of the flour and seeds swell with water in a 1:2 ratio, ideally overnight in the refrigerator. Then subtract the amount of water used from the ingredients and only add the remaining water to the final dough.

Homemade bread can be varied in many ways

There are no limits to creativity when it comes to bread recipes. The selection of baking books is diverse and there is something for every taste. We have put together a small selection for you here.

• Carrots: You can also get juicy spelled bread if you add two finely grated carrots to the basic recipe. This means that the loaf of bread does not dry out as quickly later on. In addition, the taste is neutral and the bread contains additional vitamins and minerals.
• Nuts: Chopped or whole nuts go well with bread doughs. They not only give the baked goods their nutty flavor but also enrich them with healthy fatty acids.
• Mediterranean herbs, chili, and fresh olives: With this variant, maybe even shaped as a baguette, you score points at every barbecue. It’s great for dipping, spreading with herb butter, or simply enjoying on its own.
• Our tip: Special baking trays are suitable for making baguettes, as they keep the bread in shape in the oven and create a crispy crust all around.
• Seeds: Seeds of all kinds are also suitable as additions. Whether chia seeds, linseed, sesame, quinoa or sunflower, or pumpkin seeds. Experiment with your heart’s content. Just pay attention to the quantities. If the dough is too heavy, it may “settle” in the baking pan.
• Spices: To give the bread its own taste, use the following spices: allspice, sage, caraway, coriander, or some nutmeg. Usually, the tip of a knife is enough to give the dough a different note. Alternatively, you can use a spice mix.
• Our special tip: Add 1 tablespoon of baking malt and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to your basic recipe. This makes the crust even crispier and more aromatic later.