Spelt Sourdough Bread

Whole wheat spelt makes delicious and wholesome sourdough bread. This rustic sourdough bread is easy to make with basic instructions that are easy for beginner sourdough bakers.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Additional Time: 12

Total Time: 12 55

Servings: large loaf or 2 small loaves

Calories: 173kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

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.

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.

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