This Spelt Sourdough Bread recipe brings a beautiful twist to your usual sourdough with the nutty, earthy flavours of spelt flour. It's not just a change of flour-it adds a unique texture, a beautiful open crumb, and all the nutritional benefits that come with using an ancient grain.
Jump to:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!
But First, What Is Spelt?
Spelt is one of the ancient grains, an ancient variety of wheat that has been cultivated for thousands of years. Known for its nutty flavour and slightly sweet undertones, spelt flour adds depth and character to baked goods. It's prized for its nutritional benefits, boasting higher protein content and more fibre than regular wheat flour.
Whether you're using wholemeal spelt or refined spelt flour, this versatile grain is a fantastic choice for changing up your sourdough baking routine.
How Does Spelt Flour Affect Sourdough?
Spelt flour adds unique characteristics to your sourdough, influencing both the baking process and the final loaf:
- Hydration: Spelt grains absorb less water than regular wheat, which means your dough may feel wetter than usual. We, therefore, don't recommend an overly high hydration sourdough.
- Dough Characteristics: Spelt absorbs water quickly but has a weaker gluten structure, making the dough more extensible and less elastic similarly to Sourdough Einkorn bread dough.
- Bulk Fermentation Times: Spelt's gluten structure breaks down faster than regular wheat, often speeding up bulk fermentation. Keep an eye on your dough to avoid over-fermentation.
- Crumb Structure and Oven Spring: Sourdough made with spelt flour tends to produce a slightly denser loaf with a less open crumb and gentler oven spring.
- Flavour: Sweet, nutty and slightly tangy, similar to whole wheat flour but more delicate.
- Gluten Content: Moderate, but the gluten is more fragile and less elastic - it tears easily, so avoid sharp-edged mix-ins.
Ingredient Notes
Here's everything you will need to make this sourdough spelt bread:
- strong bread flour: white flour with at least 12% protein content.
- wholemeal spelt flour: also known as whole grain spelt flour.
- salt.
- water: we tend to use slightly warm water as our kitchen tends to be quite cold.
- maple syrup or honey: optional, but complements the sweeter notes of spelt flour beautifully.
- active sourdough starter: 100% hydration.
Sourdough Mix-Ins That Pair Well With Spelt Flour
Spelt flour's nutty flavour opens the door to some fantastic sourdough mix-in options if you fancy elevating your sourdough journey further:
- Soft Dried Fruits: Add a little bit of natural sweetness with dried figs, apricots, or dates. Their soft texture complements the weaker gluten structure, creating a great bread with bursts of flavour.
- Fresh Herbs: Rosemary, thyme, or sage are aromatic additions that pair beautifully with the earthy notes of spelt.
- Seeds: Toasted sunflower, sesame, or poppy seeds bring subtle crunch without tearing the dough, making for a wholesome, textured bread. Like in our Sunflower Seed Sourdough Bread. Or you can try our Flaxseed Sourdough Bread, but add a portion of spelt flour.
- Cheese: Fold in chunks of soft cheese like feta or goat's cheese for a creamy, tangy surprise in every bite-just be gentle to avoid overworking the dough.
The gluten is more fragile and less elastic - it tears easily, so avoid sharp-edged mix-ins.
Mix It Up: Turn Your Sourdough into a Flavour Adventure.
Step-By-Step Method
Ready? Let's jump into the method.
Day 1
Step 1: Feeding Your Sourdough Starter
First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm spot (ideally, (21-27°C)), semi-covered for 4 hours. Your starter should at least double in volume in this time. If it doesn't, it may need a couple of good feeds before it's fit for purpose.
Step 2: Mixing The Dough
Once the sourdough starter is active and bubbly (and at least doubled in volume), mix the dough. Mix strong white flour, spelt flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
In a separate bowl or a jug, mix the water and maple syrup (optional) until well combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the active starter.
Run the mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment for 10 minutes, until your dough is smooth and elastic. It does not need to pass the windowpane test just yet (the gluten will continue developing when we fold the dough.
Wait, What About Autolyse?
I skip the sourdough autolyse step for spelt sourdough because spelt's weaker gluten structure and higher enzyme activity (lower Hagberg Falling number) mean the dough hydrates more quickly and can become overly slack.
Unlike regular wheat flours, spelt doesn't need the extra time to develop strength, and skipping autolyse helps keep the dough manageable for folding and shaping. This ensures the best results without risking a dough that's too difficult to handle.
Step 3: Folding and Bulk Fermentation
Scoop the dough into a large bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place (21-27°C) for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, with cold wet hands, perform the first set of coil folds. Simply lift the bread dough with both hands from the sides and tuck it under to form a coil (video below). Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and coil again. Cover the bowl again, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes again.
You should repeat the process every 30 minutes until you have done 4-6 sets of coil folds. Your dough will spread less with every set of folds, and by the end of it, you will have a much less sticky, very soft and elastic dough that has blisters on top of the dough.
For more information on how to coil fold and when to know when you've done enough folding, head to our dedicated article about Sourdough Coil Folds.
Once all the folds have been completed, cover the dough and let the dough rise at warm room temperature for 2-3 hours to finish bulk fermentation. Your dough should bulk up by about 75% (if it doubles in volume though, don't worry, you will simply get a little less oven spring). If you are using a see-through glass bowl for bulk fermenting, you should see a lot of activity and bubbles forming at the base and sides of the bowl.
Step 4: Shaping and Cold Retardation
At the end of bulk fermentation, using a bowl scraper, scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Try and make sure that the smooth top of the dough (the side that is not intact with the bowl) is placed on the floured work surface. Then swiftly fold the four corners of the dough into the centre.
Flip the dough seam-side down and use your hands to cup and rotate it, pulling it slightly against the surface to form a smooth, tight ball.
Place the dough ball into a well-floured banneton basket (or any proofing basket alternatives). We recommend using rice flour for dusting your proofing baskets. The smooth side of the sourdough ball should be at the bottom, with the seam at the top.
Pinch the seam together with your fingers, if the dough starts spreading in the bowl to make sure the dough is tight. Sprinkle with some flour, and cover the dough with a clean fabric napkin or small lightweight tea towel.
Place the proofing basket in a large plastic bag - it will protect the dough from drying out. Then place the whole thing in the fridge for its final rise (a.k.a. second rise) in the fridge for 12-36 hours.
Day 2
Step 5: Preheating Dutch Oven
The next day, place the Dutch Oven in the oven, and preheat it to 240°C (typically, it is the highest temperature home ovens will go to) with the Dutch oven in it. It needs to be piping hot!
Step 6: Scoring Sourdough
Once the oven is hot, take the dough out of the fridge and out of the bag.
Invert the dough gently onto a large piece of parchment paper. If your dough was properly bulk fermented and shaped correctly, it should not spread much once inverted.
Dust the surface of the dough with flour. Using a bread lame or a razor blade, score the dough deeply (approximately 1cm deep) at a 30- 45º angle or a straight line down the middle as shown below.
One single deep slash is all that's needed for that sought-after sourdough "ear".
Step 7: Baking
Take the hot Dutch Oven out of the oven, take the lid off, and lift the sourdough into it, holding the edges of the parchment paper. Be mindful of how you lift the paper. Sometimes, the scored slash can begin to close up during this process.
To prevent this, lift the parchment from the sides that won't push the two edges of the scored dough back together. Or try baking sourdough in an inverted Dutch Oven!
Place the lid back on the Dutch Oven and place the bread into the hot oven for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 200°C, take the lid off, and return the sourdough to the oven for another 25 minutes.
Step 8: Cooling
Once baked, take the Dutch Oven out of the oven. Lift the bread out by holding the corners of the parchment paper. Place the bread onto the wire rack, and slide the parchment paper from underneath the loaf.
Leave the spelt sourdough to cool down to room temperature before slicing.
Storage
You can store your spelt sourdough loaf at room temperature for up to 3 days by keeping it in an airtight container, a ziplock bag, a bread box, or wrapped in a tea towel.
For longer-term storage, freezing is the best option-this sourdough loaf freezes beautifully! Check out the articles below to learn more:
Recipe FAQs
No, you don't need a spelt sourdough starter to make spelt sourdough bread-a regular wheat-based starter works perfectly fine!
Spelt sourdough bread is lower in gluten than bread made with modern wheat, but whilst it contains less gluten and is not suitable for a gluten-free diet.
Yes, but white spelt absorbs less water, so you may need to decrease the hydration of the dough slightly.
Yes,but using one helps create a steamy environment that results in a higher rise and a beautifully crisp crust. If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can try using a baking stone or baking tray and add a pan of hot water to create steam (read more about baking sourdough without a Dutch Oven here). Or use a steam oven function if it has one.
To know your sourdough bread is cooked through, check its internal temperature with a thermometer; it should reach about 85-90°C (185-195°F) to ensure it's fully baked. Another test is to tap the bottom of the loaf - if it sounds hollow, it's ready to come out of the oven.
More Sourdough Bread Recipes
If you love making your own spelt sourdough, why not explore more sourdough recipes? Try adding some barley flour, like in this Barley Sourdough recipe or go for ancient wheat, and make Einkorn Sourdough Bread. From hearty sourdough sandwich bread to rustic date and coffee sourdough loaf, there's a whole sourdough journey waiting to be had!
Spelt Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- Bench Scraper
- Razor Blade or Bread Lame
Ingredients
- 300 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content
- 100 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 7 g salt
- 240 g water
- 15 g maple syrup or honey, optional
- 160 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
Instructions
DAY 1:
- First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm spot (ideally, (21-27°C)), semi-covered for 4 hours. Your starter should at least double in volume in this time. If it doesn't, it may need a couple of good feeds before it's fit for purpose.
Mixing The Dough
- Once the sourdough starter is active and bubbly (and at least doubled in volume), mix the dough. Mix strong white flour, spelt flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- In a separate bowl or a jug, mix the water and maple syrup (optional) until well combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the sourdough starter.
- Run the mixer, fitted with a dough hook attachment for 10 minutes, until your dough is smooth and elastic. It does not need to pass the windowpane test just yet (the gluten will continue developing when we fold the dough.
Coil Folds And Bulk Fermentation
- Scoop the dough into a large bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place (21-27°C) for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, with cold wet hands, perform the first set of coil folds. Simply lift the bread dough with both hands from the sides and tuck it under to form a coil (video below). Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and coil again. Cover the bowl again, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes again.
- You should repeat the process every 30 minutes until you have done 4-6 sets of coil folds. Your dough will spread less with every set of folds, and by the end of it, you will have a much less sticky, very soft and elastic dough that has blisters on top of the dough. For more information on how to coil fold and when to know when you've done enough folding, head to our dedicated article about Sourdough Coil Folds.
- Once all the folds have been completed, cover the dough and let the dough rise at warm room temperature for 2-3 hours to finish bulk fermentation. Your dough should bulk up by about 75%. If you are using a see-through glass bowl for bulk fermenting, you should see a lot of activity and bubbles forming at the base and sides of the bowl.
Shaping and Cold Retardation
- At the end of bulk fermentation, using a bowl scraper, scoop the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Try and make sure that the smooth top of the dough (the side that is not intact with the bowl) is placed on the floured work surface. Then swiftly fold the four corners of the dough into the centre.
- Flip the dough seam-side down and use your hands to cup and rotate it, pulling it slightly against the surface to form a smooth, tight ball.
- Place the dough ball into a well-floured banneton basket (or any proofing basket alternatives). We recommend using rice flour for dusting your proofing baskets. The smooth side of the sourdough ball should be at the bottom, with the seam at the top.
- Pinch the seam together with your fingers, if the dough starts spreading in the bowl to make sure the dough is tight. Sprinkle with some flour, and cover the dough with a clean fabric napkin or small lightweight tea towel.
- Place the proofing basket in a large plastic bag - it will protect the dough from drying out. Then place the whole thing in the fridge for its final rise (a.k.a. second rise) in the fridge for 12-36 hours.
DAY 2:
- The next day, place the Dutch Oven in the oven, and preheat it to 240°C (typically, it is the highest temperature home ovens will go to) with the Dutch oven in it. It needs to be piping hot!
Scoring Sourdough
- Once the oven is hot, take the dough out of the fridge and out of the bag.
- Invert the dough gently onto a large piece of parchment paper. If your dough was properly bulk fermented and shaped correctly, it should not spread much once inverted.
- Dust the surface of the dough with flour. Using a bread lame or a razor blade, score the dough deeply (approximately 1cm deep) at a 30- 45º angle or one straight slash in the middle (as we did in the photos). One single deep slash is all that's needed for that sought-after sourdough "ear".
Baking
- Take the hot Dutch Oven out of the oven, take the lid off, and lift the sourdough into it, holding the edges of the parchment paper. Be mindful of how you lift the paper. Sometimes, the scored slash can begin to close up during this process. To prevent this, lift the parchment from the sides that won't push the two edges of the scored dough back together.
- Place the lid back on the Dutch Oven and place the bread into the hot oven for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, reduce the temperature to 200°C, take the lid off, and return the sourdough to the oven for another 25 minutes.
Cooling
- Once baked, take the Dutch Oven out of the oven. Lift the bread out by holding the corners of the parchment paper. Place the bread onto the wire rack, and slide the parchment paper from underneath the loaf.
- Leave the spelt sourdough to cool down to room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition
Leave a Reply