Whole Spelt Bread: An Easy, No-Mixer Recipe

I've been making this whole spelt bread for a long time, ever since we decided to stop buying bread for our household.

The job of baking our bread landed on—you guessed it—me. And whole spelt flour was a pretty natural choice.

Why? 

Whole spelt flour (not to be confused with buckwheat, which is something else entirely) is easy to work with compared with other whole-grain flours, such as rye or regular whole wheat. It doesn't need much kneading, and the bread still comes out light rather than dense.

It has a lot going for it nutritionally, too: plenty of protein (14 g per 100 g (3.5 oz), or 3.5 oz, of uncooked grain), dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals such as iron and calcium.

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How do I eat it? 

I like to have a slice of whole spelt bread with a thin layer of jam or date spread an hour before my morning workout. It helps keep my energy steady throughout the session.

Another option is 2–3 slices with cubed tofu or homemade hummus and a big salad. That's a satisfying dinner or post-workout meal for me.

I added 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds to this recipe for some extra magnesium and iron, but you can use whatever add-ins you like.

You don't need a fancy mixer to make this bread. For a fresh, delicious loaf, all you need is a deep bowl, an oven, and a pair of hands.

This bread freezes well, and I recommend keeping some in the freezer. Thaw it in a toaster oven whenever you're ready to eat.

• For a softer, more indulgent version, replace 1/2 cup of the spelt flour with all-purpose flour. You'll still have a mostly whole-grain loaf. The swap isn't intended to substantially change its glycemic index—a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar—but the finished loaf's glycemic index would need to be tested to know for sure.

Each slice contains:

120 calories, 19.5 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g fat, 0.5 mg iron, 2.3 mg dietary fiber

Whole Spelt Bread Recipe

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 3 hours

Yield: 20 slices

Ingredients

• 500 g (17.6 oz) whole spelt flour, listed as 3 cups; use the weight for accuracy

• 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) unsweetened soy milk, or water

• 1 tablespoon sugar, or silan (date syrup)

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Sift the flour. Don't skip this step!

2. In a deep bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and half of the pumpkin seeds. Mix well.

3. Add the wet ingredients—the soy milk and olive oil—and knead until you have a uniform, slightly sticky dough, about 3 minutes. Feel free to work out a little frustration while you knead. 🙂

4. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. * The dough may not double in size at this stage the way a white-flour dough would. It might still look fairly small, and that's okay.

5. Transfer the dough to a baking pan; a loaf pan works well. Cover with a towel and let rise for another hour. This time, you should see a noticeable rise.

   

6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

7. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds over the dough. Bake for about 55–60 minutes, until the loaf is golden and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

8. Wait until the bread has cooled completely before slicing.