Spelt Sourdough Bread

This has become one of my new favorites. It has that nutty spelt flavor, but I combine it with all-purpose flour so it’s not dense or heavy.It needs lots of stretch and folds and a long rise, but the taste is SO worth it.

As I said, we need a lot of stretch and folds since spelt has less gluten than regular flour. We need to develop the structure and get it smooth and elastic. The dough will tell you when it’s ready. Sounds cheesy, but it’s true! I usually start this in the evening and let it rise overnight, then bake it first thing in the morning.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Look for the spelt flour in natural food stores or the organic section. Bob’s Red Mill is consistently good.

This makes one loaf with about 16 slices. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, or use metric measurements, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• digital scale
• Whisk, spatula, or wooden spoon
• Dutch oven
• Bench Scraper
• Parchment paper
• Tea towel or plastic wrap

Ingredients

• ½ cup active sourdough starter
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Step One: Get Your Starter Ready First

About 4-6 hours before making dough, feed it: 25 grams starter, 35 grams flour, 35 grams water. Let it double and get bubbly.

Step Two: Make The Dough

Mix the warm water, active starter, salt, and sugar in your bowl.

Add the spelt flour and stir.

Then add the all-purpose flour and mix until you have a rough dough ball. Cover and wait 30 minutes.

Step Three: Stretch And Folds

Wet your hands so the dough won’t stick. Grab one side, stretch it up, and fold it over. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you’ve done all four sides. Cover, wait 30 minutes. Do this 3-4 times total.

After the last stretch and fold, flip the dough smooth-side up. Do 2-3 more rounds of stretching and folding, then you’re done with that part.

Step Four: Bulk Rise

Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours until doubled. Cold house = longer rise time.

Step Five: Shape And Preheat

Turn the dough onto a floured counter and shape into a ball. Put it on parchment paper and either place it in a clean bowl or leave it on the counter while your oven heats.

Put your Dutch oven in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Let it heat for 20 minutes.

Step Six: Score And Bake

Score the top with a razor or sharp knife. Use the parchment to lower the dough into the hot Dutch oven.

Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove the lid, turn the heat down to 375°F, and bake another 25 minutes.

Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. This isn’t optional – hot bread turns gummy when you cut it.

Serving & Storing

It makes incredible grilled cheese and French toast, but my favorite way to eat it is still warm from the oven with a generous swipe of salted homemade butter.

This bread stays fresh for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

For longer storage, slice the whole loaf and freeze – then toast slices straight from frozen.

Make It Your Own

Here are a few ways to adapt the recipe.

• Swap up to half the spelt flour for whole wheat if you want a heartier loaf.
• Add 2 tablespoons of honey instead of sugar for a more complex sweetness.
• This dough also makes excellent dinner rolls – just divide it into 12 pieces after bulk fermentation and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.

Troubleshooting and Help

More Sourdough Bread Recipes

There are so many ways to enjoy sourdough bread. From your basic loaf to adding fun stuff, I hope you’ll find something you’ll love.

• Cranberry orange sourdough bread is perfect for fall or winter.
• You’ll love this easy no-knead sourdough bread.
• A slice of sourdough bread with gruyere and caramelized onions is the perfect side to a bowl of chili or soup.
• Enjoy this sourdough rye bread for Reuben sandwiches.

Printable Recipe