Not the showpiece boule — this is the everyday loaf, sliced clean for lunches and toast. Spelt is an ancient grain cultivated for over seven thousand years and a traditional Amish and Mennonite staple.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup active starter
- 1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour (175g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Method
- Mix into a smooth dough. Spelt is delicate — use gentle stretch and folds, not aggressive kneading.
- Four sets of stretch and folds over 2 hours, then bulk ferment another 2 to 4 hours until grown by half.
- Shape into a log, place seam-down in a buttered loaf pan.
- Proof 3 to 4 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.
- Bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes, to 200°F internal. Rest a full hour before slicing.
Spelt brings a nuttiness that makes this loaf exceptional with nothing more than butter and a thin slice of cheese.
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