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This recipe for a wonderful, nutty brown spelt bread is as easy to make as the white version, but tastes richer.
As you may have seen on our Instagram page, we have ordered flour from the millers at Barton Springs Mill, from Dripping Springs, Texas. Check out their website for their rich and long history. I love their product, because they use local farmers that grow ancient, heirloom crops, and it is all organic. It feels, smells and tastes differently compared to the flours from the supermarket. By the way – my local prime supermarket does not sell any other wheat flours, other than whole wheat and bleached whole wheat. For me, that is not enough.
Our Flour
So, by luck, I have found Barton Springs Mill. I try and order a few different types of flour, like their Rouge de Bordeaux , rye and spelt. Changing it up with variations in flour will make your bakes taste and look differently: variety is good! In addition, a whole wheat bread is a good carrier for nuts, raisins, cheeses and vegetables. More on that, to come, on this blog.
For now, we will use the spelt flour for a rich, brown piece of bread. You don’t have to use spelt: any other wheat flour will work. For working with whole wheat flours, just remember that the protein level of the flour is lower. Because of that, it requires a little bit more work: knead a bit longer. If you use proper whole wheat, the bran may cut the gluten structure in the bread. That is not bad, it will just lessen the growth and size of air bubbles in the bread.
With that, let’s get baking.
Whole wheat spelt bread
Equipment
- Large and small bowls
- Scale, measuring cups
- Bench knife
- Proofing basket
- Cling film
- Dutch oven, 4.5 quarts
Ingredients
- 350 milliliter water
- 250 grams Whole wheat flour Spelt, Rye, Einkorn
- 250 grams All-purpose flour Brad flour preferred
- 10 grams salt
- 10 grams yeast
Instructions
Preparation
- Put the whole wheat flour and 150 grams of the all-purpose flour in the mixing bowl and add all of the water. Mix until you have a coarse dough. You do not have to knead yet: it needs to be mixed, that is all for now. Cover with a towel or lid and leave for at least 15, up to 30 minutes.
- This is called the autolyse process. During this time, the enzymes in the flour will break down the starch and the proteins: the starch will be converted to sugar and the protein starts becoming gluten. It helps against the over-oxidizing that happens during the kneading (otherwise resulting in pale and tasteless breads), and it makes the dough softer and better to handle when you knead in the next step. Most importantly, it helps build even more flavor. And that’s what we’re after.
- Add the remaining flour, and add the salt on the one end of the bowl, and the yeast on the other. Mix all of the ingredients together in the bowl.
- Once all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough starts picking up the loose bits in the bowl, flick over the bowl and turn the dough on your clean kitchen table top. Knead for roughly 7-10 minutes. The dough is ready when you try to make a window of the dough: a thin film of dough, about a millimeter thick, that does not immediately tear up. If it rips easily, just knead a bit more.
- You will find your own technique of kneading dough quickly enough. The most important is that you work the dough, to allow the proteins to turn into gluten. My technique: I grab the dough with the fingers from my one hand, and push the dough away with the palm of my hand. I grab the dough, fold on itself, and push it away again, and repeat, and repeat. After a couple of minutes you will start to see a change in the consistency of the dough. It will become softer, almost silk. When you stretch the dough between your hands, you will notice it will be harder to do.
Bulk proofing (first proofing)
- Clean the bowl you have been mixing the dough in, and grease it with a bit of oil. Form a ball of the dough, place in the bowl and cover with the lid, clean film or a kitchen towel. Place the bowl on a warm spot. Do not place it on direct heat, and do not place it in the full, hot sun as this will dry out the dough and leave a harder skin that you will see in the dough. Leave for the first proofing for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Use the scraper to clear the dough from the bowl and turn on the kitchen table top. Be careful not to just flick over the bowl, as you will stretch the gluten in the dough too much, and the effect is gone, and you also want to maintain the large bubbles in this particular bread. With the dough on the kitchen counter, pull one end carefully, stretch until you feel resistance, and fold it over itself, halfway through the dough. Repeat for the other corners. The result will be a loaf with a cross on the top.
- Grab your proofing basket or the bowl the dusted kitchen towel. Carefully place the dough with the cross facing down in the basket, cover it with another kitchen towel and leave to proof for 45-75 minutes. It will be ready when you prod it with your finger and the indent slowly pops back. When it immediately pops when you prod, it’s not done yet.
- About 20-30 minutes into the second proofing, preheat the oven to 235°C/450°F and place the Dutch oven into your oven. The Dutch oven needs to be very hot, so allow enough time to heat up. You don’t need to grease up your Dutch oven.
- Baking with a Dutch oven means you bake with an oven inside of the oven. The oven is very hot, but the heat is released and distributed perfectly through the thick bottom and sides. Additionally, the lid prevents the steam to disappear, and that creates a wonderful, thin but crunchy crust. I use a few Dutch ovens: two cheaper ones, such as my Lodge, and my trusted Le Creuset. Click on the links to check them out. Use a round pan for boules and a oblong shape for batards. The biggest difference between the Lodge and the Le Creuset is that the cast iron Lodge needs seasoning and cannot stand to be stored wet, because it will rust. The Le Creuset is enameled, making it hassle-free.
Baking
- When your dough has proofed to the correct point, dust your counter top next to where you will place your Dutch oven, and carefully ease the risen dough upside down on the kitchen top. Using oven gloves, take out the Dutch oven. With bare hands, scoop up the dough with the side of your hands -you finger tips alone will rip the soft dough- and carefully, place it in the Dutch oven. With the gloves, place the lid on the plan and slide in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, again using gloves, take off the lid and put to the side, out of reach, and leave the pan in the oven. Close the door and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The bread will be dark, with deep-brown to black edges. If you want it darker, bake for 20-25 minutes instead of 15.
- When the oven pings for the second time, take out the pan -obviously with your gloves on. Immediately, flip it over and place the baked loaf on a cooling rack. Allow to cool before you slice it.