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Our Spelt Sourdough Bread is a hearty, rustic loaf we just cannot get enough of! There’s nothing quite like a freshly-baked loaf of homemade sourdough bread, right? Crusty on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside is what we’re going for, and this sourdough bread recipe DELIVERS. What’s even better is it’s so basic and easy to follow- a perfect recipe for beginner sourdough bakers!
All you need to start your day is a slice of this bread with a smear of butter or maybe a dip like garlic butter sauce or herbed olive oil.
100% Spelt Sourdough
This recipe focuses exclusively on the natural goodness of whole grain spelt flour. By using 100% spelt flour, this bread embraces the nutty flavor of spelt, offering a distinct flavor and texture.
It’s important to note that as spelt is a lower-gluten grain compared to traditional wheat, the resulting loaf will have a denser structure than those made with a blend of spelt and high-gluten bread flour. This characteristic density adds to the bread’s hearty and satisfying quality, making it a perfect choice for those who appreciate the unique qualities of whole grain spelt.
I did not use a spelt sourdough starter because I prefer to maintain a standard starter that I occasionally feed with spelt or whatever type of flour I have on hand. If you give your starter several feedings before you make the dough, it will be pretty close to an all spelt starter. Either way, it will be a beautiful loaf of sourdough spelt bread.
How to Make Spelt Sourdough Bread
This recipe is so simple, and only calls for 4 ingredients! You will need a sourdough starter to make our spelt sourdough bread, so if you don’t have one, I recommend starting out with our Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter recipe.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade spelt sourdough bread:
- sourdough starter
- lukewarm water
- whole wheat spelt flour
- salt
The process is easy and we’ll take you through the simple steps below, but make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for the full recipe. There, we include our recipe notes and some tips for the most perfect spelt sourdough bread!
- Make the dough. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until it’s combined. The dough will have a sort of rough and chunky appearance, which is what you want.
- Knead and proof. Kneed it until it is smooth then let it rise (proof) in a bowl. After the first proof, form a round ball and place it into a proofing basket (or other container with the shape you want) and let it rise again for 3-6 hours at room temperature. It should nearly double in size (but not completely double). It will do better if you don’t let it rise too much.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the Dutch oven inside and allow it to heat for 20-30 minutes. Flip the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper, then gently lower the parchment and dough into the Dutch oven once it’s hot. Make a slash in top of the loaf with a knife and spray the dough with a bit of water (optional, but this gives it a higher rise). Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 30-35 minutes.
All About the Rise
- How long does it take for sourdough bread to rise? Typically, about 3-6 hours for each proof, but this varies greatly based on a number of factors. The amount of time will depend on the temperature and humidity. You can speed the rise by placing the dough in a warm room or a dehydrator. Alternatively, you can slow the fermentation time by placing the dough in the refrigerator.
- Why opt for a slower rise? The biggest benefit to a slower rise is that the bread will taste better! A slower fermentation time allows the bread to develop more complex flavors.
- Proofing tips. If you use a Brotform proofing basket or a tea towel in a bowl to shape your dough, give the basket or tea towel a generous dusting of flour. Specifically, a 50/50 blend of all-purpose and rice flour! Regular flour will absorb too much of the moisture and the dough might stick to the Brotform.
This spelt sourdough bread recipe is simply divine, and we can’t wait for you to try it! Enjoy the heavenly aroma of baking sourdough wafting through your home- it’s almost as good as having a warm, buttery slice of fresh-baked bread in hand.
Recipe Variations
Herb-Infused Sourdough Spelt Bread
- Blend in a handful of fresh or dried herbs until evenly distributed. Some that I like are rosemary, thyme, and sage. Use up to 1/4 cup of fresh herbs or 2 to 3 tablespoons if they are dried.
Olive & Sundried Tomato Spelt Bread
- Mix in pitted and chopped kalamata olives and chopped sundried tomatoes. I like to use about 1/2 cup of each.
More Sourdough Recipes
There are so many wonderful things to do with sourdough discard! Every time you refresh your starter, instead of throwing away the leftover unfed starter, you can put it to use in all kinds of delicious sourdough recipes.
- Sourdough Croutons
- Sourdough Donuts
- Sourdough Pizza Dough – A Recipe for Beginners
- Overnight Sourdough Pancakes
- 17 Tantalizing Sourdough Recipes
More Recipes You Will Love
- Einkorn Sourdough Bread is another incredible sourdough recipe. Einkorn flour gives this loaf a unique taste, texture, and flavor.
- This Whole Wheat Spelt Banana Bread is a must-try! Tender, moist, nutty, and it has zero refined sugar!
- Really make use of that sourdough starter and try out our Sourdough Pizza Dough! It just might be the best pizza crust you’ve ever tasted (or at least a definite contender)! 🙂
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Spelt Sourdough Bread
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter, (240 grams)
- 1-¾ cups lukewarm water, (413 grams)
- 4-¼ to 5-¼ cups whole wheat spelt flour, (550 to 680 grams)
- 2 teaspoons salt, (12 grams)
Instructions
- 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.
Video
Notes
- The starter should be at its peak for the best results.
- The amount of time needed for your bread to rise will vary depending on the temperature and humidity. You can slow the rise by placing it in the refrigerator and speed the rise by placing it in a warm room or a dehydrator. A slower fermentation time will help develop more complex flavors.
- You will have the best results if the bread does not completely double in size. If it doubles or rises even further then it will be more likely to deflate because spelt does not have a strong gluten structure to hold a high rise. Let it rise between 1-1/2 to just under 2 times its size.
- You will have more accurate measurements (and better results) if you weigh your ingredients with a scale.
- When you knead and shape your dough, try not to add any flour to your countertop. Adding additional flour will create a denser and heavier bread. You can prevent the dough from sticking to your hands by getting your hands wet.
- If you use a Brotform proofing basket or a tea towel in a bowl to shape your dough, give the basket or tea towel a very generous dusting of flour. Regular flour will absorb too much of the moisture and make the dough stick to the brotform. We recommend making a 50/50 blend of rice flour and all-purpose flour to dust your Brotform or tea towel.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven you can bake the bread directly on a baking sheet or pizza stone.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I havenow made this twice and each time I have a very flat boule. I have followed your instructions exactly –the first time did not use the refrigerator for proofing and the second time I did. When I slashed the uncooked loaf it was nice and high, but when it came out of the dutch oven after 20 minutes, it was pretty flat. Your recipe calls for no shaping other than putting dough into banneton. Other loaves I have made (not spelt) I do two separate shapings before putting the shaped dough into the bannaton. Could that be why I am getting no spring? Another site I looked at suggested that might be my problem
It sounds like the dough over proofed. Spelt does not have a strong gluten structure so you can’t let it rise as high as regular bread or it will collapse.
Hii! I just made this recipe and it’s amazing! I only made part of the recipe, to try it out, so I’d like to make an actual sized loaf now.
My question is why you’re not using stretch & folds in this recipe? I’ve read online this does cause a more elastic dough with open crumb, and I’ve seen it being used for spelt recipes aswell. What would change in the recipe if I’d wanted to try out that technique?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! For this particular recipe, I aimed to make it more approachable for beginner bakers, which is why I didn’t include the stretch and fold technique. That said, the recipe will absolutely work with the stretch and fold method if you’d like to give it a try.
If you incorporate the stretch and fold technique, you’ll get a dough with a slight improved elasticity and a more open crumb structure. However, keep in mind that spelt flour behaves differently than regular flour, so the results may will not be as pronounced.
@Dahn Boquist, Would you skip the kneading part of the recipe and replace that with the stretch and folds or would you do both? (In case you want to try and incorporate the stretch n fold technique)
If you know how to do stretch and folds then I would use that. It is a great technique for high hydration dough and for bread with a more delicate gluten structure.
Hi Dahn
Another question from me 🙂
When I make this bread the finished product has a more brown color than yours (judging from the pictures and the video), both inside and outside on the crust. Any idea why this could be? Yours look much lighter color on the inside, more like a white sourdough bread if that makes sense and mine looks more like a rye bread almost. I am using 100% wholegrain organic spelt and my starter is a mix between wholegrain spelt and all purpose flour
Thanks!
/Sam
Hi Sam, Thanks for the question. I notice that at times as well. Some whole grain spelt flours can be darker than others. I believe it is due to the different growing conditions, milling processes, or the specific variety of spelt. It can also make a difference based on how long you ferment the bread and what you have in the starter. I believe I used flour from Bluebird grain farms when I took the photos in this post. I also tend to primarily use a starter with all-purpose flour.
Hi Dahn
I love this recipe, thank you!
I would like to make this bread as a “normal” bread loaf shape in a rectangular tin if that makes sense. But I dont know how to shape the dough for this?
Thanks!
/Sam
Oh sure. You will get either 2 small loaves in 8 x 4 inch bread pans or you can make a larger loaf with a few dinner rolls on the side. Just roll the bread dough into a log and place it in a greased bread pan. Thanks for the question.
1 cup isn’t 240 grams. It’s a little over 137 grams. Is there any reason the recipe says 240 grams?
Thanks for the comment. I use the measurement standards from King Arthur for all our ingredient weights. A sourdough starter that has 100% hydration will vary slightly in weight but it is generally 230 grams to 240 grams for one cup. It’s pretty close the the same weight as one cup of water.
Do you have started receipe and can you make start usinv spelt or other ancient grain? What size dutch oven? Does ceramic quoted dutch oven work?
Hi Safia, use a 6 quart Dutch oven for this recipe. Yes a ceramic coated Dutch oven will work just fine.
I MADE MY OWN STARTER AND BREAD BUT CAME OUT FLAT AND DINDNT RISE WHY DID THIS HAPPEN
There are quite a few reasons why sourdough bread might not rise as expected. It’s a bit of a science experiment, so a lot of elements need to align. Here are a few potential culprits: 1. Starter Strength: A strong starter is essential for a good rise. Make sure your starter has been fed and is bubbly and active before you begin your bread-making process. 2
Temperature: Sourdough is sensitive to temperature. Too cold, and the yeast activity will slow down; too warm, and you could kill the yeast. Aim for a room temperature around 75°F (24°C) for optimum fermentation. 3 Bulk Fermentation Time: Did you give the dough enough time to ferment? Sometimes it may need a bit longer than you’d think, especially if your kitchen is cooler than average.
I TRIED TO FOLLOW ALL THE STEPS BUT FOR SOME REASON IT DIDNT RISE
I left a more detailed explanation in your other comment but here are a few things to consider: Starter Strength, Temperature, and Bulk Fermentation Time.
Hello, this will be my first attempt making bread. Your recipe calls for 4 1/4 to 5 1/4 cups of flour. Can you please clarify why such a wide range in the amount? Do I start with 4 1/4 cups and add as needed?
Great question! Bread making is both an art and a science, and the amount of flour you might need can vary due to several factors. One of the primary reasons is humidity. On more humid days, you might find that you need less flour than on drier days. The type and brand of flour can also influence its absorption rate. For those new to bread making, using a slightly higher amount of flour can make the dough easier to handle. However, it’s worth noting that this can result in a denser loaf. I suggest starting with 4 1/4 cups of flour and then gradually adding more until you achieve the right dough consistency. The dough should be tacky to the touch but not overly sticky. Bread making can sometimes involve a bit of trial and error, but with practice, you’ll find the balance that works best for you.
@Dahn Boquist, Thank you for the quick reply! I will let you know how things work out.
You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy the bread.
Can I use white spelt flour?
Yes, you may need to add a bit more flour. You can adjust the flour as you knead the dough and add more if needed. The bread will rise a bit higher with white spelt. Enjoy!