A loaf for my wife...finally
Last week my wife Marie asked me if I could make her a loaf of Spelt bread without using any regular wheat flour in it since she has problems digesting typical wheat based breads. Up till now she's been buying a spelt bread available at our local supermarket that's one of those flash frozen par-baked things that have become so common in supermarket bakeries these days. Not being a bread purist, she been quite happy with it despite my looks askance, but I wonder if maybe some of the things I've been learning from TFL and discussing with her might have rubbed off. At any rate I've been wanting to make a bread for her that she could enjoy, and happy she asked me since spelt is a grain I've never used previously and was interested to try it out.
Richard Bertinet's new book 'Crust' has a recipe for a pure spelt bread in it which I showed to Marie, and she thought it sounded fine, but asked if I could include some nuts and/or seeds, maybe some oatmeal as well for a little variety. I think if she hadn't asked me first I would have suggested it, as the recipe seemed a little plain for our tastes. I picked up a bag of 100% whole grain spelt flour from our local health food/organic grocery that's milled by Nunweiler's Flour Co out of Saskatchewan, and a certified organic mill. They have a line of various whole grain flours including, dark rye, buckwheat, as well as whole wheat and AP. Link included below for anyone interested, although I doubt you would be able to find it outside of Canada.
Bertinet's formula is pretty straightforward other than using a poolish of spelt flour, which I made up the night before, as well as an oatmeal soaker to be included in the final mix. Next morning I toasted some sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a 380F oven for about 8 minutes, and let them cool before proceeding with the mix. I thought I might have to increase the flour ratio somewhat because of the extra water I included to the formula from the oatmeal soaker but the oatmeal absorbed almost all the water, contributing little to the overall mix, with just the water called for in the recipe being added. The dough had a bulk ferment of an hour, followed by a light rounding and a 15 minute rest, then shaped and placed in a floured brotform. The rise took just under an hour, which after having made long rising levain style breads for the last few bakes kind of took me by surprise. I think it made a good loaf, but more importantly Marie really likes it, saying it has so much more flavour and texture than the stuff she was buying from the store, which I told her was a result of having used a preferment in the mix. The technical details aside, it seems I'll be making this bread on a regular basis from here on, the only change being to increase the percentage of seeds by double or more. Recipe and photos below.
Note: the recipe below has been edited from the originaly posted formula due to some errors and miscalculations recently brought to my attention. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused anyone.
Franko
Richard Bertinet's Spelt Bread-adapted and halved
|
Ingredients |
% |
Kg |
|---|---|---|
|
Poolish |
|
|
|
Spelt flour |
100 |
250 |
|
Water |
100 |
250 |
|
Instant yeast |
1 |
2.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Oatmeal Soaker |
|
|
|
Oatmeal |
100 |
125 |
|
Warm Water |
100 |
125 |
|
|
|
|
|
Final Dough |
|
|
|
Spelt Flour |
100 |
250 |
|
Mixed toasted sesame, sunflower,and pumpkin seeds |
24 |
120 |
|
Poolish |
202 |
502.5 |
|
Oatmeal Soaker |
50 |
250 |
|
Salt |
2 |
10 |
|
Water |
64 |
70 |
|
Instant Yeast |
1 |
2.5 |
|
Total Weight |
|
1205 |
Mix Poolish ingredients together and rest overnight in the fridge.
Combine poolish with remaining ingredients and mix on 1st speed for 3-4 minutes. Mix on 2nd for 2 minutes then knead on counter for 2-3 minutes, or just until the dough is smooth and uniform. Put the dough in a lightly floured bowl , cover, and let rest/bulk ferment for 1hr. Dough temp 71F-74F .
After the dough has rested for an hour , remove from the bowl and round it lightly and let rest for 15 minutes, then shape as desired. Preheat oven and stone to 500F .
**Note: this dough rises very quickly and should be monitored very closely during the final rise. It is easily overproofed. The times and temperatures listed below are based on my kitchen environment at the time and my oven. Adjust accordingly to your own situation at the time of final proof and baking.
Let dough rise approx. 30-40 minutes. then slide the loaf onto your hot stone, with normal steam and bake for 10 min. Turn the heat down to 440 for 25-30 minutes or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped . Cool on wire racks for 6 hours or more.
Comments
That is one beautiful loaf. Nice job! From breadsong
Thanks so much for your comments! It's a loaf that I really enjoyed being able to make for Marie.
Franko
Very nice loaf, and a wonderful job on pleasing your wife while satisfying your love for baking as well! Your crust and crumb are great looking, especially for being all spelt flour. I too enjoy more than anything being able to make something for my fiance that she loves more than just baking for myself.
Speaking of spelt, at my bakery, every Monday, we bake a 100% spelt sandwich loaf that uses a sponge and dough method. Also we bake some 100% spelt muffins, both of these products have really turned me on to spelt. If you get a chance, I just made Hamelman's Vermont Sourdough with Increased Whole Grains substituting the whole rye for whole spelt flour and retarded the loaf for 30 hours. The end results were fantastic! Perhaps give it a shot if you have extra spelt flour and some time on your hands!
Kind words indeed coming from a fellow professional baker! Never having baked with spelt before it's reassuring to hear from you, who's had much more experience with this grain, that the crust and crumb are on track. Much appreciated Arlo. Nothing quite as rewarding as baking for the ones we love is there? I'll have to try the Vermont SD with spelt sometime in a future bake. Great suggestion, thanks!
Franko
and thanks for the link, the last place it seemed like I could get some spelt flour in more than a pound package and at extreme prices (healthfood store) suddenly stopped supplying it, as its gone to a gluten free mill, and spelt has gluten!
While I am not against gluten free, its just a bit disappointing to not find them having flour when they had it on the website, and only a description of spelt and no explanation of why they don't have it for sale.
Its like smoking, yes I'm a non smoker, and dislike the results of smoking, but hey let the smokers have their ciggies, just because I don't smoke doesn't mean I have the right to tell others not to, I can persuede them not to, tell the problems etc, but to say outright we are not selling, or whatever the smoker his smokes is being the judge, jury and the police. Not my thing at all.
Thanks EvaB!
Glad the link is of use to you.
This is slightly off topic but I'm beginning to wonder at how many folks there are out there that are mistaking indigestibility of commercial wheat breads with some sort of gluten intolerance. This might account for some of the rising popularity of gluten free breads these days. Speaking for myself, once I got back into making and eating my own bread rather than just buying the stuff in the supermarket, the digestion problems I was having pretty much disappeared.
All the best,
Franko
Thank you so much for the recipe. I have a friend that doesn't eat wheat. My first, (and last try) at a bread for her was dreadfull...this looks wonderful.
Pam
Hi Pam,
Thanks for your comments. Very much appreciated!
It may be worthwhile having a look at the link I posted to the mill regarding spelt flour. They do caution that spelt may not be suitable for all wheat restricted diets and that consultation with a Doctor is advised. Just a heads up!
All the best Pam,
Franko
Hello, Franko
The loaf looks great. I just bought spelt flour yesterday. I will make a copy of this to make it . Thank you for sharing your recipe that warm my heart.
Sincerely,
Akiko
Hi Akiko,
Thanks so much!
I'm happy to share this recipe with you and everyone else on TFL. If it makes you or other readers want to give it a try or inspire them to use Mr. Bertinet's recipe in their own way, as I have, then that's what I think this site does best. Thanks again Akiko!
Best Wishes,
Franko
Hey! great looking spelt Loaf, Franko! You did a great job with spelt and soakers.
I,too, am planning to bake a multigrain 100% spelt sourdough for my ucle who has common wheat allergy.
Thanks for the inspiration!
khalid
Hi Khalid,
Thanks my friend, much appreciated!
Franko
about the sudden prevalence of people who say they have celiac, and when actually questioned a bit, it turns out they are self diagnosed with wheat allery or they think they might have....... I know that I am not able to eat commercial milk but can eat yogurt, and can drink fresh unpasturized cows milk, and strangely enough pasturized commercial goats milk. I have never been tested for milk allergy, just know that I have always had problems with milk from birth. But I simply work around it, by doing what I can to avoid high lactose foods. You would be surprised at how often that shows up in things (milk, milk solids, and lactose are all listed on some breads from commercial sources) and how hard it can be to avoid.
I personally have never been a big fan of bread, wouldn't eat it even as a child, not just bread, in sandwiches it was ok, but to eat a slice of bread (untoasted) was not something I would do, the rest of the family thought I was a very strange child and my mother often commented that I must have been switched at birth or she was being given a huge cross to bear because I was so picky.
I don't think I'm allergic to wheat, but maybe it upsets my system somehow and I just wouldn't eat it, I do know that I can eat breads made at the organic bakery in town, they grind all their own grains, which are organically grown. But they are also hard to get, as they have a small two day output, and if you don't get there early you are out of luck!
Hi, Franko
I read about spelt flour online http://www.ochef.com/108.htm and some books before I tried. I realized that You really did a great job using 100% spelt flour that is such a difficult type of flour.
I have made your bread twice. one of two was used 100% sourdough culture, it turned out really dense. I should have take more time for final fermentation, or I didn't mix as well. These crust was very hard, too. but I expected. When I took them out of the oven, These bread were really heavy. Is it usual?
I put some raisins and walnuts, too. The flavor is very good. I remember that I used to eat some food that contains 100% spelt flour for my diet when I was a teenager. I also ate a piece of 100% spelt bread that were samples at the organic store recently. It was the same texture and flavor. But it was softer silghtly.
On second, I made your bread using instant only like yours. It came out dense again, but it is not as much as the other one above. I added 1tbsp barley malted powder, and raisins and walnuts adding to your recipe, again. I like this bread.I had a good snack time with a cup of tea.
I didn't have any spelt flour to sprinkle before I place the dough onto the cloth for proof. I used white flour instead.
I think that kneading time is very important... Could you tell me how you knead the dough? I have a professional kitchen aid but it need to be fixed. So, I mix and knead by hand right now.
I wanted to make this bread without using fat and sugar. I like your recipe. Is the recipe that you recommended?
http://www.nunweilersflour.com/trellis/spelt_bread
Best wishes,
Akiko
Hi Akiko,
I honestly can't tell you what's usual with spelt flour since this loaf for my wife was the first time I've ever used it. Khalid/mebake or arlo have a lot more experience with this flour than I do. I mixed it initially with my Kitchen Aid for the time specified in the formula then finished it by hand, the time spent hand kneading was less than 3-4 minutes at most.
From the look of your loaf it appears overproofed, which is something that I came close to doing as well. The dough went through it's final rise much more quickly than I thought it would so I think this is something you need to be careful with next time you make it. The recipe that I've posted is not from Nunweiler's mill but from Richard Bertinets book 'Crust' and which I altered slightly by adding an oatmeal soaker and some seeds to. Other than those two additions it's essentially the same recipe from his book.
My kneading technique is pretty much standard old school. I press the dough into a semi flat round state, fold the top 1/4 towards me , give the dough a 1/4 turn and repeat that until I can feel the dough developing (getting stronger and more resistant) in my hands. Any typical technique will work, just find one you're comfortable with and use it every time you make dough until it becomes second nature to you. I'm not sure if this has been of any help to you, but I'm happy to try and answer any other questions you might have.
All the best,
Franko
Thank you for taking a time to write it back to me. I really thank you.
Overproofed,,, Oh ohh I remeber that two of them are already over double in bulk when I was about to shape in an hour. And, I took another hour for final fermentation. When I did finger-test that I pressed the dough by a finger, the dough didn't come back at all.
I think that I knead my dough like you do. Is it like this? ( I linked the video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWj8oHMPFm0
I don't use any flour and I stretch the dough more while kneading.
Your advices are very understandble and helpful. Thank you so much, Franko! I want to try your recipe again. I will borrow the book if It is avaible at a library. I also check out khalid and arlo's blogs,too.
Sincerely,
Akiko
While I am at work right now, I must make this quick. But one thing I have to say about mixing spelt that I must watch every week we bake it is that spelt mixing time is about 2/3 less than wheat. So when the dough looks like it needs about another 2 minutes worth of mixing, I would stop.
I'll post some more when I am out of work this morning.
Take care!
Thanks Arlo, looking forward to hearing about it.
Thank you for taking a time to write about spelt mixing time even though you are at work. I was about check your blog and I saw your comment here. My husband has been suffered from hypoglycemia, I want to make some healthy bread. Also, my daughter seems to have blood sugar problem. Thank you for your tip, arlo.
Sincerely,
Akiko
What I can say about my weekly experience making large batch of 100% whole spelt flour at work is this;
DO NOT DO AN IMPROVED MIX. If you mix (knead) too much, the dough will breakdown and can not be saved. In a commerical sized Hobart, a normal wheat sandwich loaf required about 5 minutes of mixing time. When I through on the spelt around 4 am or so, I only mix it for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Anything else and you will end up with a gummy crumb, hard to work with dough, or worse; a large hole in the center of your bread. This has happened a few times when someone has forgotten to mix for a short time period. Basically if you mix to long, the finally product quality is sacrificed.
Also use of a sponge is a great way to improve crumb, height and quality of the bread. Spelt is full of complex carbs and really needs this extra fermentation to bring out the best in it. Take half of the yeast, flour and water and mix it up and let sit for 5-12 hours then continue with the recipe.
I actually have to go to Vitaspelt today after class and pick up flour for my bakery. When I am there I will ask if they have any helpful documents as well.
Great baking!
Thank you, arlo! I copied this comment, and franko's, too. I will practice !!:)
Thank you, again
Akiko
Another thing they did mention to me yesterday was that if you were substituting spelt flour for another flour in a recipe, reduce the water by 10-20%.
Hope that helps, and keep up the baking!
Thank you again, arlo!
I will reduce down to 74% that I take between 10%-20%.(15%) I will try the way until I buy more spelt flour. Thank you!!
Akiko
Hello, Franko and arlo
I used your fomula to make 2 loaves, but I used whole 82% whole wheat flour and 18% bread flour, and some rice plus oats for the soaker. I decreaced the water down to 15%, but I added more some water because the dough was too tough. The hydration was down to 9% in total than your original formula. I also 5% sugar in it too.( Molasses 10g plus honey 15g)
I was very pleased with this bread. I took a mistake that I was about to use 100% whole wheat flour. I already put some bread flour into the wet dough when I realized it was wrong.
Here are the result,
Thank you so much, Franko and arlo!
Akiko
You are welcome Akiko!
The crust and crumb look very nice and I'm sure it has a good flavour as well. Good job! When you make it next time, and if you have some spelt flour on hand, try it using spelt and see how you like it compared to whole wheat and white flour.
Franko
Hi, Franko
I really like this recipe!!. When I went to the different organic store where are near by our house to buy spelt flour, The price made me a eye-popped suprise look. It was almost double price to compare to the other store where I always go.
This is my most favorite multi grain bread! I am going to make 100% whole wheat next time.. may be tomorrow. I will try spelt version one when I get the flour and let you know about the result, of course!
Thank you again, Franko!!
Akiko
I like spelt better than whole wheat, and I will definitely try your recipe, Franko. Adding oatmeal is an interesting idea, and your loaf looks wonderful!
Perhaps your wife would like to eat this 100% spelt bread with walnuts, too. It is one of my favorites. If you are not able to grind spelt kernels (here they carry them at Whole Foods), you can substitute spelt flour for the spelt chops, probably reducing the water a bit.
I make this with a biga, but a sourdough would certainly be great, too. And, of course, you can also work with a soaker and stretch and fold.
Karin
DINKEL-WALNUSSBROT - SPELT WALNUT BREAD
SOAKER
47 g spelt chops
180 g spelt flour
4 g salt
210 g buttermilk
BIGA
227 g spelt flour
1 g instant yeast
170 g water
FINAL DOUGH
57 g spelt flour
12 g agave nectar or honey
7 g salt
5 g instant yeast
2 g anise seeds
2 g fennel seeds
70 g walnuts, coarsely chopped
DAY 1
In the morning, prepare soaker and biga. Refrigerate biga.
In the evening, prepare final dough: mix at low speed for 1 - 2 min., until coarse ball forms, then at medium-low speed for 4 min. Let dough rest for 5 min., resume kneading for 1 more min. Transfer to lightly oiled container, and place in refrigerator overnight.
DAY 2
Remove dough from refrigerator 2 hrs. before using.
Preheat oven to 425 F/220 C. Prepare for hearth baking with stone and steam pan.
Shape batard, place in banneton, and let rise to 1 1/2 times its original size. Slash.
Bake bread at 350 for 20 minutes, steaming with 1 cup of boiling water. Rotate 180 degrees, remove steam pan and continue baking for another 30 minutes (internal temperature at least 195 F)
Let cool on wire rack.
Hi Karin,
Thanks for the recipe, your loaves look wonderful! I ran the ingredient list past Marie knowing that I wouldn't be able to make it with buttermilk (she's non-dairy as well) but the anise and fennel didn't pass either....sheesh! However I think I'll make it for myself sometime over the next few bakes. I'm rapidly becoming a spelt fan because of the nutty flavour and aroma, so the walnuts and herbs would go well with it I'm sure.
Have you Mainers had your 1st snowfall yet? We got ours yesterday I'm sorry to say.
Thanks again Karin, good to hear from you.
Franko
For non-dairy baking I would just use Soy Milk. And if your wife doesn't like the spices, leave them off. They are not really discernable, though. German breads are often flavored with anise, fennel, coriander or caraway (all in small amounts), it's just a hint of spice, to round it off, nothing else.
After a wonderful spring, summer and fall, it's cold, but no snow in Bar Harbor, yet. Yesterday I even picked a last (puny little) cauliflower and egg plant.
Karin
Franko, I just copied your recipe - I'm sure you don't mean 250 kg spelt flour etc. - unless you opened up a big bakery with mass output?
Happy baking,
Karin
Karin,
No I haven't opened a big bakery fortunately, and yes it means grams. It's just the way I laid out the default formula template in case I happen to make something using more than 999 grams. I'm looking forward to seeing your bake of it.
All the best,
Franko
Hi Franko
This is an ugly looking 100% spelt flour loaf that I made today. I used Bob's Red Mill's light splet flour that I bought by my mistake. Although It was a good move for my daughter to eat more healthier tasty bread.
I think that I baked this bread too early.. It was proofed only 30 minutes. Or I scored it too deeply.
Yes, The crumb was extremely lighter. My daughther said, " How did you make such a yummy bread?" " I could eat all !" Of course, I really like this bread! This bread will be our daily bread!
Best wishes,
Akiko
Hi Akiko,
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, in this case your daughters, so that's what's important as far as I can see. The bread does it's final proof very quickly and has caught me by surprise several times. It may be the slash was too deep, but if you make it regularly that will be easy to fix next time around. The main thing is you found a real bread that your daughter enjoys and that to me is a successful bake.
Best Wishes Akiko,
Franko