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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 made one loaf, did first rise on the counter and second in the fridge. It was great. But then I made a second loaf and did the first rise in the fridge and it hardly rose at all. So Im attempting to do the second rise in a warm place but so far its hardly rising. Should I just do no rises in the fridge? The first bread tasted amazing but it could have been more fluffy.
The fridge does slow down the rise and you may need to let it sit in a warm spot to get it to rise a bit more. Since this is 100% spelt flour, you won’t get a super fluffy loaf of bread. If you want a fluffy loaf with a higher rise, you can substitute a couple of cups of the spelt flour for bread flour.
Sorry, another question! I mentioned my dough had just finished it’s second proof. Well, when I tried to dump it onto the parchment paper, it was a sticky mess that started to spread out as I did so, so I had to quickly transfer to the Dutch oven before it spilled over. Is that normal? I was not able to cut slashes in it either because the dough was so sticky. What did I do wrong there?
You may have used too much liquid but it sounds like you proofed it too long. Over proofing the dough will cause it to get sticky and deflate and that will also make it hard to slash the bread.
Hi Dahn! I just finished the second proof for this sourdough recipe and I am so excited to see how it turns out! While I’m waiting I had a quick question about proofing. Does the Dutch oven have to be preheated before I place the dough in it? I ask because I don’t have a proofing basket nor another bowl that’s similar in size to my Dutch oven. Can I just do the second proof in the Dutch oven, then bake? On that note, if I wanted to bake it in something else, would a glass loaf pan work? Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
You don’t have to preheat the Dutch oven. Preheating the pot will give the bread an initial burst of steam and slightly higher rise but the bread will bake quite well if you don’t preheat the Dutch oven first. Yes, you can do the second proof in the Dutch oven if you prefer not to preheat the pot or any other pan for that matter. This recipe makes delicious sandwich bread as well if you want to proof the dough in loaf pans.
Hello! I tried this recipe yesterday and when I made the dough initially it was not extremely sticky or wet, it also wasn’t very loose. I used a kitchen scale to measure everything and it turned out flatter than I would like. Do I just need to increase the water? I used 550 g spelt, room temp filtered well water, and my starter was at its peak too. Any help would be greatly appreciated! ?
You may have overproofed the dough. Spelt flour doesn’t have a strong gluten structure so you don’t want to proof it as much as traditional bread dough. Try letting it proof only 1-1/2 times its height.
Thank you for the great recipe. I just made your bread and it’s so delicious.
Thanks for the comment Joanna. Enjoy the spelt bread 😉
Can I use a KitchenAide with dough hook to kneed the bread instead of my hands?
Yes, that works well. I always worry about straining my Kitchenaid motor, but I have had my mixer for 10 years, and it is holding up well.
Hi, this bread is so good! How long do we cook it for if we divide the recipe into two smaller loaves? Thanks!
I don’t know how long you will need to bake the bread if you divide it into two smaller loaves. If you have an instant-read thermometer, it will be done when the internal temperature reaches 200°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, turn the loaf of bread upside down and give it a thump on the bottom. If it has a hollow sound, it is done.
The post says to scroll down to the bottom of the page for the full recipe, yet it’s locked unless I create an account. But if I click on other suggested recipes like the spelt banana bread, it doesn’t lock me out for not having an account. I don’t understand this…please explain.
This is one of a handful of recipes that are exclusive to readers with a Grow account.
I have been making sourdough spelt bread for 15 years, and use similar proportions and processes (great minds thinking alike :)- with these exceptions:
— I grind my own (organic) spelt grain, so it has all the bits and pieces of the grain. My bread used to be more dense, as the flour is heavier, and there’s less gluten in spelt: I struggled with that for a while.
— Now, I make it at a higher hydration- I think I am at about 80%. (I don’t always pay attention to exactness… spelt seems more variable in its reactions to water than hard red wheat is, at least for me; maybe it’s the whole-grain-ness).
— Sometimes I add some (King Arthur) organic bread flour (about a tenth of the total flour) as it helps support the heavier grain/lower gluten of the whole grain spelt; depends who/what I am making it for.
I see in the comments that you acknowledge the challenges of grinding your own spelt— just wanted to give some feedback for those that want to do so.
Regardless— spelt is the best, and your website is wonderful- thanks!!
Thanks for the comment and suggestions, Maggie. A higher hydration certainly does make a superior bread. It is more challenging to work with at a higher hydration but the bread flour will help. I would love to hear what you use to grind your spelt grain. I started out with a Vitamix and now I use a NutriMill which works much better.
@Dahn Boquist, sorry for the delay- I use the KoMo Fidibus Classic. It is my third grinder over the years and hands down the absolute best. Pricey but love love it, and the results.
I have heard great reviews about the KoMo, and it is a beauty as well!
This recipe is my new favourite. I’ve made so many loaves over the past 5 years and this is the best spelt sourdough. I’ve been putting it in a tin for the second proof and it makes a gorgeous sandwich loaf. Thanks for this recipe !
Thanks for the comment. It is fabulous sandwich bread 😉
@Lisa, how long do you bake in a tin? Do you bake at the same temperature?
You should be able to bake it at the same temperature in a tin.
@Lisa, how do you shape the bread if you want to put it in a tin? Ive only Done the boule version so this is what Im familiar with and know the shaping technique for.
Sam, you can shape it into a rectangle on the counter then roll it up like a jelly roll into a log.