I did not expect to love the freshly milled Italian Bread as much as I do. We are now out of hard wheat berries, so I’m making 100% spelt Italian bread today! Spelt is one of my all-time favorite grains because it’s a grain superhero! It works well in ANY of the grain categories, getting great results even though it counts as a soft grain.
I really hope you enjoy the distinct flavor change that comes from using fresh milled spelt grain instead of hard white wheat. You know it’s great because we are eating the remaining half of the loaf and it has barely cooled.
Can I make 100% Spelt Italian Bread without the Vital Wheat Gluten?
Absolutely! When I first perfected my rustic, crusty Italian bread with fresh milled flour, I didn’t think I could do it without the vwg (vital wheat gluten). I couldn’t have been more wrong! To make this SAME recipe without the vwg:
- Make yudane by boiling some water. Put 25 grams of your spelt flour into a small container on your scale. Zero out the scale, then pour 50 grams of boiling water over the flour. Mix well.
- Use 380 grams of water instead of 420 grams.
- Add the yudane to the water in your recipe, and carry on.
Can I use my KitchenAid Mixer?
Absolutely! This recipe is higher hydration, so use the wire whisks and your mixer’s highest speed to mix the ingredients without the yeast. Once the dough climbs to the top of the whisks, it’s time to switch to your dough hook to finish by adding the yeast and kneading for a few minutes to incorporate (like, 2 minutes).
Can I Get Better Dough Structure?
You bet! After the first rise, do your stretch and folds, and let the dough rise the second time IN THE FRIDGE! The cold will help the dough have better structure. When you take the dough out of the fridge, you may gently shape it some more before transferring to the oven. Silicone bread slings help so much in being gentle with your dough – along with parchment paper.
100% Spelt Italian Bread, whole grain
Ingredients
- 415 g grain, spelt
- 40 g vital wheat gluten
- 420 g water
- 11 g sea salt, celtic grey
- 11 g yeast (instant)
- 10 g barley malt syrup
Instructions
- Mix together all ingredients EXCEPT THE YEAST for 5 minutes, in mixer or by hand. It will be wet and sticky!
- Sprinkle the yeast into the dough, and mix or knead for another 5 minutes. Your dough will be VERY WET.
- Transfer the dough into an oiled bowl with plenty of room to rise and a lid. Do one set of stretch and folds, as described in the next step.
- Stretch and folds: Stretch one side of the dough up, and fold it over onto the opposite side of the dough ball. Turn the bowl one-quarter. Repeat 3 more times.
- Every 30 minutes, do a set of stretch and folds (optional if using a mixer)
- After the 2nd set of stretch and folds, preheat your oven and your dutch oven, by setting the oven to 450 F.
- Once the oven gets to temperature, quickly remove the dutch oven and close the door.
- Sprinkle flour to line the bottom of your dutch oven, then gently place the dough into it, and sprinkle the top of the loaf with flour.
- Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife, razor, or snip it with scissors
- Place the lid on your dutch oven, and put it into the oven for 30 minutes
- Remove the lid and lower the oven temperature to 400 F, baking for another 20 minutes
- Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack with air flow all around the loaf
- Allow to cool before slicing
What can I use in place of the barley malt syrup?
You can use honey, maple syrup, or even sugar – gram for gram. Just something to feed the yeasties do their thing!