Spelt is a grain similar to wheat. Like wheat, spelt contains gluten, so it's not appropriate for people on a gluten-free diet. And its similarities to wheat make it a poor choice for people who are allergic to wheat. Spelt contains more riboflavin and niacin than wheat and has slightly fewer calories. A 38-g serving of whole-wheat flour contains 140 calories, versus 126 calories in the same spelt flour serving. Spelt produces a different texture in some baked goods, and you need to adjust your recipe to account for the differences between spelt and wheat.
Step 1
Replace wheat flour cup for cup with spelt flour in recipes for baked goods. Because spelt is so closely related to wheat, you don't have to adjust these measurements.
Step 2
Decrease the liquid in your recipe by 1/4 cup. Spelt is more water soluble than wheat, so using the same amount of water could result in softer dough and soupier batter in baked goods.
Step 3
Knead spelt flour dough for less time than you would wheat flour dough when making yeast breads. The gluten in spelt breaks down more quickly than wheat gluten. If your recipe calls for kneading bread for eight minutes, knead the spelt version for four minutes.
Step 4
Let the batter or dough rest 10 minutes before you bake it. This gives the spelt time to absorb any excess water and makes for a less runny product.
Tips and Warnings
- You can purchase spelt flour in both white and whole-grain varieties, which correspond to white and whole-wheat flours in recipes.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring cup
References
- University of Vermont; Spelt, Long-Popular Grain; Dianne Lamb; February 2002
- "Daniel's Lifestyle Fasting Cookbook"; Victoria Epperly; 2008
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