I still remember the first time I baked with spelt flour… the way the dough felt under my hands, and the nutty aroma that filled my mom’s kitchen. It felt like stepping back in time, working with a grain that hadn’t been tampered with or tamed as much as wheat has by modern manufacturing. Ancient grains, spelt included, have a beautiful simplicity to them. Our bodies recognizes them as real food, and I swear you can taste it in every bite. Gentler on digestion, full of nourishing minerals, and deeply satisfying, ancient grains have a permanent spot in my pantry. If you’ve never baked with them before, you’re in for a wholesome, old-world treat that connects us to a time when bread and other baked goods were as nourishing as it was humble.
Benefits of Spelt
- Spelt has not been bred and manipulated for manufacturing like common wheat so our body recognizes spelt as food.
- Spelt’s gluten structure is shorter, brittle and water soluble. This means it is easier for the body to break down and can be easier to digest for people with wheat and gluten sensitivities. However, people with celiac disease will not be able to tolerate spelt.
- Spelt is rich in protein and minerals including niacin, copper, iron, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus.
- Spelt has more soluble fibre than wheat which is beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol and regulating blood sugar levels.
- Spelt contains carbohydrates called “mucopolysaccharides” that are credited with strengthening body tissues and the body’s immune system.
- Organic spelt and any variation of it (grain, flour, flakes, etc) is considered a low acidic food and is one of the only grains listed to include in an alkaline diet.
Baking with Spelt Flour
Spelt flour is fairly easy to substitute cup for cup for wheat flour. You can substitute whole spelt flour for whole wheat flour and white (also called unbleached or all purpose) spelt flour for regular or all purpose wheat flour in your favourite recipes. The only adjustments you will need to make is to reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe by 25 percent and the mixing or kneading time by half as the gluten in spelt is weaker than wheat and will start to break down from being over kneaded whereas the gluten in wheat flour will get stronger.
Resources
Spelt and ancient grains have been gaining popularity and there are more and more cookbooks dedicated to baking with them. My favourite is one from 2007 called Spelt Healthy! that is tricky to find these days and was written way before anyone in North America cared what spelt was. Here is a list of some of the books I own (and have discovered) that inspire me to keep exploring ancient grains:
- Spelt Healthy!: Quality Whole Food Cooking and Baking with Spelt
- Spelt: Meals, Cakes, Cookies & Breads From the Good Grain
- Einkorn: Recipes for Nature’s Original Wheat
- The Rye Baker
- Simply Ancient Grains: Fresh and Flavorful Whole Grain Recipes for Living Well
Where to Buy Ancient Grain Flours
Ancient grain flours can be tricky to locate, so here is a list of all the places I have been able to find them. I know there are many more I don’t know about yet so please send me an email and I will gladly add it to the list!
Sunshine Coast, BC
- Jean’s Organic Food Club, Roberts Creek, BC
604.885.2442 - Seaweeds Health Food Store, Gibsons, BC
- Marketplace IGA, Sechelt/Wilson Creek, BC
- Gibsons IGA, Gibsons, BC
- Claytons Heritage Market, Sechelt, BC
Canada
- Anita’s Organic Mill, Chilliwack, BC
- True Grain Bread, Vancouver Island, BC
- The Spelt Bakers, Vancouver, BC
- Save on Foods, Various Locations, BC & AB
- Whole Foods, Various Locations, BC & ON
Online
USA
Sources:
Health Benefits of Spelt
What Are the Benefits of Eating Spelt Flour
What is Spelt?