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Easy German Spelt Bread

The easiest and the quickest German spelt bread recipe made with minimum staple ingredients and no proofing time. Make this delicious whole grain spelt sandwich bread that is ready in just 1 hour and will last for a week. Whole grain spelt bread covered with a tea towel

This post was originally published on August 5, 2015 and updated on August 17, 2022 by Elena Szeliga with a few changes to the original recipe (read below).

Whole Grain Spelt Bread

If I were to choose the best food smell in the world, it would most definitely be the scent of freshly baked bread. Crispy crust, fluffy crumb, nutty and sweetish flavor of a whole grain bread… This recipe has it all.

Making bread from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, this is one of the easiest spelt bread recipes out there. See the quick steps in this spelt bread web story.

Simple ingredients like flour, water, yeast and salt combine together to make this easy and delicious spelt loaf that doesn’t require long kneading and proofing time. This is achieved by placing the loaf into a cold oven, so the proofing is done directly in the oven.

A slice of homemade spelt bread smeared with vegan butter

What is Spelt Bread?

Spelt bread is made out of regular spelt flour, whole grain spelt flour or a blend of spelt and wheat flour. Just like brown bread, spelt bread is very popular in Germany. This recipe uses 100% whole grain spelt flour but you can use a 50-50 ratio of regular and whole grain spelt flour.

A Loaf of whole grain spelt bread

Spelt Bread Benefits

Spelt is one of the oldest cultivated crops, better digestible, and with a broader scale of nutrients. It is packed with healthy organic compounds, vitamins and minerals.

Is Spelt Bread Healthier Than Wheat?

Yes, spelt is an excellent choice if you would like to substitute wheat with a healthier equivalent (see benefits above). It’s more clean and organic, because spelt needs much less fertilizers than wheat.

Does Spelt Bread Have Gluten?

Yes, spelt contains gluten, although its gluten structure is weaker than wheat.

A stack of bread slices on a tea towel

How to Use Spelt Flour

Just as an idea, you can use spelt flour also for pizza dough or savory tart crust. It has a very distinguishable nutty flavor, which makes it good for cakes and pies as well.

Baking With Spelt Flour

There are a few things to mention about spelt flour before you start baking with it.

  • The first thing is that spelt flour naturally proves and rises faster than wheat flour. That’s why this recipe has no proofing time. It actually rises in the  oven!
  • Spelt flour bread needs less liquid than other types of flour. So in case you want to substitute wheat with spelt, you’d need to add water slowly and gradually and you will most likely need less of it.
  • As with the wheat flour, it is better to measure spelt flour by weight than by volume (cups), as the density of different flour types vary, as well as humidity in your house. I recommend to use gram measurements for this spelt flour bread, keeping in mind that you might need a bit more flour if your dough is too sticky.
  • Spelt flour requires shorter kneading time than wheat flour. It makes it easy to overknead, which is not a good thing. The optimal kneading time is 5 minutes by hand or using the dough attachment of your stand mixer on low speed.
  • Sifting flour helps enrich it with oxygen, making the bread more fluffy and airy. If you are sifting whole grain flour, just put the sifted parts of bran back to the sifted flour.

Holding a hot baking dish with spelt bread

Baking Time

Baking time for bread recipes with spelt depends on your oven and on the size of the baking pan you used, and varies anywhere between 45 and 60 minutes. Mine is usually done after 50 minutes.

When you are not sure, whether your spelt bread is baked through, just tap the bottom of the pan and if the if it sounds hollow, the bread is done. Otherwise, continue baking it for some more minutes.

Spelt Bread Ingredients

  • Whole grain spelt flour (can be substituted for regular)
  • Dry active yeast
  • Lukewarm water
  • Sea salt
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Olive oil to grease the baking form

Ingredients for spelt bread

Top Tips

  • Make this easy spelt bread recipe whenever you crave a nice homemade sandwich bread that is ready in 1 hour.
  • This recipe requires a very short kneading time and no proof time as the bread rises right in the oven.
  • Spelt is a great choice if you are looking for a healthier equivalent to wheat.
  • You can use a 50-50 ratio of regular and whole grain spelt flour in this recipe.
  • Make sure not to overknead the dough. Slowly knead it for 5 minutes by hand or using a hook attachment of a stand mixer.
  • If you want your bread to to be extra crusty, take it out of the form when it’s baked through and bake for additional 10 minutes.
  • To check whether the loaf is baked through, tap the bottom of the baking pan and if it sounds hollow, the bread is done. Otherwise, bake it for some more minutes.
  • Don’t slice the bread directly after baking. Let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.
  • Store the bread loaf in an airtight bag in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

A loaf of spelt bread with spelt spikelets on the side

Recipe Variations

  • You can use fresh yeast in this recipe (one ¼ oz package dry active yeast equals ¾ oz fresh yeast).
  • You can use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar.
  • If you like a little prickliness, you can either add soaked seeds of your choice (pumpkin, sunflower, chia, hemp seeds or pine nuts). Alternatively, add soaked and cooked spelt grains or other grains to the bread. Soaking ensures that the bread isn’t dry.
  • Use any type of high heat resistant oils instead of olive oil like sunflower, canola, avocado, sesame or peanut oil.
  • To make this bread oil-free, line your baking form with parchment paper, instead of greasing it with oil.

Sliced spelt bread on a cutting board

More great bread recipes

Wholemeal Brown Bread

No-knead Beer Bread

Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts

Whole Wheat Tortilla

 
Print
4.50 from 6 votes

Whole Grain Spelt Bread

This easy, quick and delicious German spelt bread recipe made with a few staple ingredients and no proofing time is perfect for sandwiches.
Course bread, sandwich, Side Dish
Cuisine European, German
Prep Time 5 minutes
Baking time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 10 servings or about 20 slices (1 loaf of bread weights 1 3/4 pounds or 850 g)
Calories 288kcal
$4 per loaf

Ingredients

  • 1 package (7 g or 1/4 oz) dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups or 400 ml lukewarm water
  • 3 cups or 500 g spelt flour (or whole grain spelt flour)
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil to grease the form

Instructions

  • Put yeast and sugar in lukewarm water, stir and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rest for 10 min. Sift the spelt flour (use normal or whole grain) in a large bowl.
  • Add flour, salt and apple cider vinegar and knead for 5 min (by hand or using a dough attachment hook of your stand mixer).
  • Take a 26 x 12 cm (10 x 4.5 inch) loaf form. Grease it with oil (or line with parchment paper). Transfer the dough into the form. Put the form into the cold oven. Heat it to 400 F or 200 C. Bake the bread for 50 min.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and turn the form upside down. If the bread doesn't come out easily, bake it for additional 10-15 min. If the bread comes out easily from the form, but you want your it to be crusty, put it back in the oven without a form and bake for 10 more min. Cool the bread loaf on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

Top Tips

  • Make this easy spelt bread recipe whenever you crave a nice homemade sandwich bread that is ready in 1 hour.
  • This recipe requires a very short kneading time and no proof time as the bread rises right in the oven.
  • Spelt is a great choice if you are looking for a healthier equivalent to wheat.
  • You can use a 50-50 ratio of regular and whole grain spelt flour in this recipe.
  • Make sure not to overknead the dough. Slowly knead it for 5 minutes by hand or using a hook attachment of a stand mixer.
  • If you want your bread to to be extra crusty, take it out of the form when it's baked through and bake for additional 10 minutes.
  • To check whether the loaf is baked through, tap the bottom of the baking pan and if it sounds hollow, the bread is done. Otherwise, bake it for some more minutes.
  • Don’t slice the bread directly after baking. Let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.
  • Store the bread loaf in an airtight bag in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Recipe Variations

  • You can use fresh yeast in this recipe (one ¼ oz package dry active yeast equals ¾ oz fresh yeast).
  • You can use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar.
  • If you like a little prickliness, you can either add soaked seeds of your choice (pumpkin, sunflower, chia, hemp seeds or pine nuts). Alternatively, add soaked and cooked spelt grains or other grains to the bread. Soaking ensures that the bread isn’t dry.
  • Use any type of high heat resistant oils instead of olive oil like sunflower, canola, avocado, sesame or peanut oil.
  • To make this bread oil-free, line your baking form with parchment paper, instead of greasing it with oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 0.01g | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 3mg
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German Spelt Bread Pinterest
Recipe Rating




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Chip

Sunday 16th of April 2023

If you are not gluten sensitive add a couple of tablespoons of vital gluten flour. The bread will rise much taller and lighter.

Elena Szeliga

Sunday 16th of April 2023

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely try it.

John

Tuesday 17th of January 2023

Didn't rise!

Elena Szeliga

Tuesday 17th of January 2023

I'm sorry it didn't rise! The most common reason for this is that the yeast wasn't fresh or wasn't stored correctly. Hope it works for you next time!

Kathleen Kulman

Thursday 10th of November 2022

Update: Adding the salt directly to the yeast keeps the yeast from growing and doing its job to make thr loaf rise. There was no sweetener for the yeast to eat, resulting in decreased loft/dense bread.

Kathleen Kulman

Thursday 10th of November 2022

Too salty - used the Tablespoon but a teaspoon seems like it should suffice for 3 C flour. Resulting crumb was dense but good with a short loaf & good oven spring with no proofing as advertised. However, some proofing would’ve helped the texture & the loaf was very short with a tear on top from the lack of proofing. Adding the salt directly to Thursday inhibits the yeast & there was no sweetener for the yeast to eat, resulting in decreased loft. I was intrigued by this being a German loaf & would like to learn more about it’s history & what makes it German. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

Elena Szeliga

Friday 11th of November 2022

@Kathleen Kulman, Hi Kathleen, thanks for your feedback! Actually you don't need sweeteners to help bread rise, as yeast works on the carbohydrates in the flour, converting them to alcohol and CO2. I'm sorry the bread was too salty for you. I actually like it salty but I'll make a note about this in the recipe. When I was developing this recipe, I was going for no-proof bread that people can quickly put together without waiting for it to proof. Spelt flour is quite gluten-dense that allows it to rise quite well in the oven. Of course the lack of proofing can affect the texture. I tested this recipe with and without proofing and found out that no-proofing bread is actually closer to the texture to German spelt breads. Spelt flour is very popular in Germany, and every bakery sells loafs similar to this one. That was what I was trying to replicate with this recipe. Hope you can adjust it to your taste and bake a beautiful loaf next time!

Cheryl

Tuesday 8th of November 2022

I made this following the recipe exactly as given and I'm so pleased with the result. Beautifully moist loaf and easy to slice and so tasty! It is very quick and easy to make too. I have been buying spelt bread from my local bakery but wasn't happy with their product and it's very expensive. I have tried some other recipes but this one rocks! Thankyou Elena!!!

Elena Szeliga

Tuesday 8th of November 2022

I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Cheryl! :) I really appreciate your kind feedback

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About Elena Szeliga

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Elena Szeliga is the founder of Happy Kitchen.Rocks, where she shares delicious and healthy vegetarian and vegan food, from weeknight dinners to veganized classics and gourmet appetizers. Her recipes have been featured at Better Homes & Gardens, BuzzFeed, Country Living, The Kitchn and Reader’s Digest. Her mission is to help cook easy vegetarian and vegan meals with simple and fresh ingredients. Read more about Elena.

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