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Jan 26, 2021

Whipped Spelt Bread

This whipped spelt bread is called "whipped" because you beat the dough at high speed before refrigerating overnight to let it ferment. The resulting bread is full of flavor. 


Whipped Spelt Bread oven spring




This bread is a combination of bread flour and whole spelt flour, along with water, salt and yeast. 

Spelt you ask? What is that? It's kind of an ancient wheat grain that is still grown as a specialty crop in parts of Europe. 

The bread dough is prepared by literally whipping it with the wire whip attachment of your mixer to develop the gluten on this very wet dough. This is definitely a new technique for me. 

The original concept for the recipe, in the book, Home Baked: Nordic Recipes and Techniques for Organic bread and Pastry, calls for using sifted spelt plus whole spelt. I originally made this bread with sifted spelt and whole spelt, and I ended up with a pretty heavy loaf. 


Whipped Spelt Bread with bread flour



This time I used bread flour and whole spelt, and I used the paddle attachment for "whipping" the the dough on high speed. 

This whipped spelt bread recipe, even thought it's a pretty wet dough, produces a slightly tighter crumb. I did get some pretty good oven spring, but I still haven't mastered getting an airy crumb with spelt. 

Fortunately, the flavor of this bread outweighs the geeky desire to get lots of holes in the crumb of my loaves. 



Whipped Spelt Bread slices





I also think that, rather than "whipping" the dough, using the standard stretch and fold method would work just as well. 

Spelt is high in protein and acts similarly to whole wheat flour, and white spelt can probably be used just like all purpose or bread flour. If you want to go all in, sift some of the bran out of whole spelt and use that instead. My friend Kelly of A Messy Kitchen did that with great results. 

Spelt has a wonderful nutty flavor and produceds an pretty soft crumb. Use this bread for all of your favorite sandwiches, toast, and grilled cheese. In fact, you can even use it to make a chocolate cake! 



Whipped Spelt Bread dough



This recipe makes two loaves. If you don't want two loaves, you can easily halve the recipe to make one loaf. 

This recipe also calls for baking the loaves on a baking stone with steam. If you prefer, you can bake the loaves in preheated Dutch ovens and skip the steam pan. 

I use parchment for sliding the loaves onto the baking stone because it makes it so easy, but, if you're a pro, you can dust the peel with flour or corn meal and slide the dough directly onto the stone. 

I originally posted this bread recipe in May of 2013. This post has been updated with new photos and a printable recipe card. 

Every time I see the title of this bread, I think of Devo and my daughter as a two year old dancing to their song when she heard it on someone's "boom box" at a company picnic back in the day. She jumped on their picnic blanket and went with it. It was adorable. 



Whipped Spelt Bread





Whipped Spelt Bread

Whipped Spelt Bread
Yield: 32 servings (2 loaves)
Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories
This whipped spelt bread is called "whipped" because you beat the dough at high speed before refrigerating overnight to let it ferment. The resulting bread is full of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 840 grams of bread flour
  • 160 grams of whole spelt flour
  • 2 tsp instant yeast
  • 20 grams salt
  • 800 grams (by weight) water

Instructions

  1. Add all of the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir with a large spoon or spatula.
  2. Mix the dough at high speed with the paddle attachment of your mixer until the dough clears the sides of the bowl.
  3. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for two to three hours.
  5. Oil and flour (I used half rice, half spelt flour) two 7 to 8 inch brotforms or towel lined bowls.
  6. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and cut it in half.
  7. Form the two pieces into balls by folding the "sides" over the middle, and transfer the dough to the brotforms/bowls.
  8. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until almost doubled. This could take an hour or two.
  9. Prepare the oven with a broiler pan on the bottom rack, and a baking stone on the next highest rack and preheat the oven to 480 degrees F.
  10. Place a piece of heavy duty parchment paper onto a pizza peel. 
  11. Bring one cup of water to a boil.
  12. When the loaves are ready, turn them out onto the parchment lined peel, slash them with a lame or sharp knife, and slide them, parchment and all, onto the baking stone. 
  13. Add the boiling water to the broiler pan. Immediately close the oven door.
  14. Bake for five minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 410 degrees F.
  15. Bake the loaves for an additional 25 to 35 minutes, until they reach an internal temperature of approximately 200 to 205 degrees F.
  16. Cool on a wire rack for at least an hour.

Calories

112.47

Fat (grams)

0.58

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.09

Carbs (grams)

22.65

Fiber (grams)

1.23

Net carbs

21.42

Sugar (grams)

0.42

Protein (grams)

3.97

Sodium (milligrams)

244.29

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. This data is calculated by my recipe card.
bread, spelt
Bread
Nordic
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Would you like to comment?

  1. That is a really interesting technique.

    Lovely bread!

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  2. Very cool! I like baking with spelt flour but I've never made bread with it because it doesn't usually work out very well (it's got a very different/more delicate gluten structure than wheat) - but I definitely want to try this technique!!

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    Replies
    1. I also think it might do well with the stretch and fold technique, or even adding vital wheat gluten.

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  3. The bread looks great. I need to get some of the 9 grain flour that sounds awesome. Whipping bread sounds strange and I would be nervous too(high speed for dough, I've already had to replace a gear on my mixer). I do want to try this some time. I'll keep the recipe in my file (ie. pintrest).

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    Replies
    1. I can't help myself when I go on the King Arthur Flour website. I was very nervous. Many of the bakers who tried this use the dough hooks and it worked out fine.

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  4. I don't know. It looks to me like you whipped it good - real good. Your bread looks wonderful, Karen.

    (Heeheeee Boom box. Suddenly my shoulders are hurting in sympathy, thinking about watching people carrying those big clunkers around)

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  5. Your loaves look beautiful! It does look like you whipped it good :)

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  6. Ahhh, Devo in my head... :D I love how your loaves turned out so plump and domed. Gorgeous crust!

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  7. Love your baby girl grown up story and yes I'm very familiar with boom box;-)
    This is the loaf that has turned me onto spelt.
    Thanks for baking with us!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much =) I'm definitely going to be doing more with spelt too.

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  8. I may have to revisit this one, last time I made it was 2013 and with all spelt. This looks beautiful!

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    Replies
    1. Lol, and now I see the part in your post where you mention that!

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    2. Thanks! And I have a link to your post!

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  9. Glad you re-visited this bread - I intend to make it soon, and also shared with my tent-baking friends, I know there is one person in particular who will jump on it!

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    Replies
    1. I've been revisiting a lot of my early posts. It's a great way to take new photos and enjoy something I loved the first time. So many recipes, so little time =)

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  10. What a interesting bread technique this is. I enjoy spelt a lot and would of course love this bread. I looks perfectly baked!

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  11. I love your breads. They are always so amazing looking. I can't wait to try this one. I've seen 3 recipes today with spelt flour so it's on my list!

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  12. Well, this looks like a pretty perfect loaf of bread to me! I definitely wouldn't turn up my nose at it! In fact, I'd probably just about dive right into it!!!

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  13. What a beautiful loaf of bread! I have had spelt bread on my list for ages but haven't found just the right recipe to try until now! I hope mine turns out as lovely as yours!

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  14. I absolutely love spelt and have never heard of the whipped technique. Your loaf turned out beautifully. You have so many breads on your site that I want to bake!

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  15. Another amazing bread recipe, Karen!

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  16. Nothing beats a fresh loaf of homemade bread. I can't wait to try this technique!

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  17. Such an interesting recipe. I bet the fermenting makes for great flavor.

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  18. You always make the most wonderful-looking breads. I need a week off to spend in the kitchen - with your breads on my list - and friends to come over every night to help me eat everything I make!

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  19. I have been experimenting with different flours when making bread lately but have not tried spelt, I'm going to give it a try.

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    Replies
    1. It's definitely different, but not too different.

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  20. That is one beautiful loaf of bread! I love the color!

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  21. Just put that baby in the fridge..... ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Just cut it - it baked a bit flat, so I was worried - it seemed to have not enough gluten formation, and I was afraid I did not let it long enough in the Kitchen Aid (it cleaned the bowl very quickly) - but it tastes absolutely delicious! I might cut the hydration a bit next time, just to make it easier to handle, I had trouble to shape it. Very good recipe, though

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    2. It looks beautiful, and your crumb is perfect!

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