Spelt Bread: Fantastic Replacement for Whole Wheat

[HeidiCooksSupper]

I don't really care for the taste of whole wheat and have tried a variety of whole grain substitutes to make a healthier bread. White flour is still my love. Recently, I made a loaf of bread using 100% Bob's Red Mill whole-grain spelt flour. It's fantastic!

Spelt flour makes a lovely "whole wheat" bread with a much milder taste than standard whole wheat flour. The only additives I used beyond flour, water, salt and yeast were a bit of olive oil and a teaspoon or two of sugar.

I generally weigh bread ingredients using grams. The most recent loaf was 600 grams spelt flour, 12g salt, 9g instant yeast, 30g olive oil, 20g sugar, and 390g water.

In baker's percentages, that's 100% spelt flour, 2% salt, 1.5% yeast, 5% oil, 3.33% sugar and 65% water.

 

[CWS4322]

If you like the texture of European breads, spelt flour and rye are the way to go. Love the bread I made yesterday (spelt and anise buns--which ended up being 12 buns and one loaf of bread).

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I don't really care for the taste of whole wheat and have tried a variety of whole grain substitutes to make a healthier bread. White flour is still my love...

Have you tried "white whole wheat flour", Heidi? I use it all the time in my baking. Depending on what the end product is, you can sub white whole wheat for 1/2 of the flour called for in a recipe all the way up to the full amount. The particular flour I use, Prairie Gold, is something I stock up on when I shop an Amish bulk food store. However, King Arthur also has white whole wheat flour that works fine. I don't know the protein percentage of the King Arthur, but the Prairie Gold is high enough for baking bread without needing additional wheat gluten, or maybe just a tiny amount.

The good thing about white whole wheat flour is that it tastes just like plain AP flour. Texture is about the same, too. When I made scones for the first time using 100% white whole wheat, Himself didn't have a clue that I had switched flours.

 

[CWS4322]

Have you tried "white whole wheat flour", Heidi? I use it all the time in my baking. Depending on what the end product is, you can sub white whole wheat for 1/2 of the flour called for in a recipe all the way up to the full amount. The particular flour I use, Prairie Gold, is something I stock up on when I shop an Amish bulk food store. However, King Arthur also has white whole wheat flour that works fine. I don't know the protein percentage of the King Arthur, but the Prairie Gold is high enough for baking bread without needing additional wheat gluten, or maybe just a tiny amount.

The good thing about white whole wheat flour is that it tastes just like plain AP flour. Texture is about the same, too. When I made scones for the first time using 100% white whole wheat, Himself didn't have a clue that I had switched flours.

I am guessing the OP doesn't want the flavour or tooth of AP flour or white whole wheat flour. Spelt flour doesn't give the same taste or tooth that white whole wheat flour gives. The gluten level of King Arthur flours are listed on its web site.

 

[HeidiCooksSupper]

I am guessing the OP doesn't want the flavour or tooth of AP flour or white whole wheat flour. Spelt flour doesn't give the same taste or tooth that white whole wheat flour gives.

Yup, what you said. I do have white whole wheat flour and use it, too, (mostly because it makes hubby happy) -- also, whole wheat flour is good in things like anadama bread and other "kitchen sink" breads (where you throw in everything but the kitchen sink). I usually have several types of flour working their way through the pantry so there's a good deal of variety in loaves of bread -- even an occasional 100% rye doorstop which is good sliced thin.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I don't really care for the taste of whole wheat and have tried a variety of whole grain substitutes to make a healthier bread. White flour is still my love...

I am guessing the OP doesn't want the flavour or tooth of AP flour or white whole wheat flour...

Yup, what you said...

Color me confused, Heidi. First you say white flour is your love. As far as I know, white flour IS AP flour. Many sources, Himself included (and in our house I consider the hubby "a source" ), find that white whole wheat tastes and chews exactly like white (or AP) flour. Then you agree with CW's comment that you don't want that flavor or "tooth"?

Just forget that I suggested white whole wheat flour...

 

[HeidiCooksSupper]

I do find that white whole wheat flour is milder than regular whole wheat flour but it still doesn't taste like AP flour or other patent wheat flours that have had the bran and germ removed. It tastes much like other whole wheat flours. White whole wheat flour is called that because it is ground from white wheat rather than the red wheat from which regular whole wheat and AP flours are made in the US. It is still a whole wheat flour that includes the bran and germ.

Different flours, whether from different grinds or different grains produce breads that taste and feel different. I guess I wasn't clear when I was discussing my druthers. I like the taste of white breads better than whole wheat breads, be they red or white whole wheat but I also strive to make more whole grain breads because they are better for us. To me, the spelt bread is a tastier alternative for a whole grain bread, but that's just me.

 

[taxlady]

I really like whole grains. I find khorasan / kamut to have less flavour than most whole grains.

 

[HeidiCooksSupper]

It is a fun idea to try the different grains like kamut, amaranth, etc. We did and found we are wheat and proto-wheat lovers. Give us the spelt and freekeh and bulgur; you can have the flax and quinoa, buckwheat and teff. But you never know until you try them!