I simply love spelt bread. The taste is hearty, but the texture is tender, and still somewhat “fluffy.” This particular recipe is 100% whole grain, and makes fulfilling toast or sandwich bread. It’s also dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and even vegan-friendly. Unlike many bread machine recipes, it doesn’t call for any milk powder or other milk-based ingredients. And if you don’t have a bread maker, don’t worry! I’ve included directions for making it by hand, or you can try my Cinnamon Spelt Bread Recipe.
Whole-Grain Spelt Bread for Bread Machines (with By Hand Option)
Forget the milk powder. This spelt bread turns out beautifully, without the need for any additives or dairy. The original recipe is made for your bread maker. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry, you can make it by hand instead! We originally shared this recipe way back in 2006, but I’ve just updated with these alternate instructions, new photos, and nutrition facts.
Whole-Grain Spelt Bread without a Bread Machine
Use the original spelt bread ingredients, but follow these directions:
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups spelt flour, the gluten, sugar, 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast, and salt to combine.
- Add the milk beverage or water and oil and stir to combine.
- Add the flaxseed or grain mix, and then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, kneading as it become thick. Add more flour, as needed, if the dough is too sticky. Depending on the humidity, you might need up to another 1/2 cup.
- Knead the dough for 7 to 10 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Loosely cover the dough and let it rise in a warm draft free place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and let rest 5 minutes.
- Grease and flour 1 large loaf pan or 2 smaller loaf pans.
- Shape the dough and place it in your prepared loaf pan(s).
- Loosely cover the dough and let it rise (again) in a warm draft free place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.
Special Diet Notes: Bread Machine Spelt Bread
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. Just be sure to select the milk beverage that fits your dietary needs.
- 1¼ cups warm dairy-free milk beverage or water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar or your sweetener of choice
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 3½ cups spelt flour
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (see option below)
- ¼ cup flaxseed or seven grain mix (optional)
- 1¾ teaspoons instant yeast or 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- Put the milk beverage, oil, sugar, salt, spelt flour, gluten, and grain mix (if using), in your bread machine in that order. Make a well in the flour, and add the yeast to it.
- Select the cycle for a 1½ pound loaf, wheat setting if you have it.
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20 Comments
This is for a 1.1/2 lb loaf- what would
The measurements be for a 2 lb loaf?
That’s hard to say off hand. A 2 pound loaf would have more like 4.5 to 5 cups of flour. You can divide the ingredients by 3 and multiply by 4 (or multiply by 1.33) to get a rough estimate of a 2 pound loaf.
I made this recipe & it turned out great! I used 2 1/2 cups white spelt & 1 cup brown spelt and honey instead of sugar. Love it!
Glad you enjoyed it Janice!
When using a bread machine what do mean in directions when you say make a well then add….. ?
A well is a depression – you make a depression in the flour and add the yeast into it.
Can you use water vs the milk replacement?
Yes!
I followed this recipe pretty much exactly twice now and both times my bread fell badly by about 2- 3 inches while baking (it still tastes good, but is a weird shape for sandwiches and very crusty) . Your recipe uses the same amount of liquid, but more flour and yeast than another recipe I have used successfully, other than it seeming too moist and dense. I was hoping the added flour and yeast would make the bread more fluffy. I’m not sure what the fix is here? I used almond milk at about 105 degrees, half spelt and half white spelt spooned into a measuring cup, 2 T of honey, and a new jar of flieschman’s regular yeast. I’ll try one more time by weight, but for me so far this is not the best recipe as written. 🙁
Hi Alice, did you make it in a bread machine or by hand? Do you live at high altitude (above 2500 feet) or sea level? Does the other recipe you are referring to use 100% whole grain flour, or does it use some bread flour or all-purpose flour? Are you using bread machine yeast or regular yeast?
Spelt flour can be tricky to use in a bread machine. It would be helpful if you listed whether it was whole spelt flour or light spelt flour that you are using. Also, if your machine did not have a “whole grain” setting, it would be helpful to know the length of the cycle that you did use, so that we can more easily match it to a comparable cycle on the machine that we are using. For instance, my machine’s basic cycle is 3 hrs 50 minutes, but my whole grain cycle is 4hrs 10 minutes with a longer rise period, which doesn’t always work with spelt flour.
As mentioned in the post, title, and linked up to, we use whole spelt flour. You can certainly substitute light spelt flour if you prefer. There are so many varieties of bread machines, and we don’t have access to test them all. If you have one with a whole grain setting (we’ve never had one with this), then you can certainly use that whole grain setting. As noted, it makes about a 2-pound loaf. It sounds like your machine is more dialed in, so it should have come with a guide that tells you the cycle to use for the different loaf weights. There really is no way for us to easily know the length of the cycle for different machines. Ours definitely wasn’t 4 hours, but yours might be. I tried to research it for you, but only came up with cycle times vary by machine. Again, the 2-pound loaf weight, listed on the yield, should help guide you.
I like the recipe for its simplicity. I am not lactose intolerant and I love milk so I used regular organic whole cows milk and I don’t like the taste of flax much so I used ground pecans. I used honey instead of sugar. Mine was very good. I never follow recipes exactly…I just use them as tools. Thank you for a nice basic spelt bread. I am sure I will try it many more ways.
That’s wonderful! Pecans sound delightful. I hope every loaf turns out wonderfully.
have you this recipe in weight grams or ounces not cups ?
No, I’m sorry I don’t. I looked it up though, and 4 cups of spelt flour looks to be about 460 grams.
Hi. Do you use the whole wheat setting or the basic? Thanks!
The bread machine that was used didn’t have that setting, but I would use the whole wheat one.
BTW just wanted to give a tip (I have been making spelt bread for the last 3 months) : if you want the bread to stay nice and soft for up to 3 or 4 days (sometimes more), add about 2 tsp of soy lecithin granules to your flour. I think most of us can say spelt bread gets dry & crumbly within a day or so . . . but this REALLY does help ! I have also used xanthum gum or guar gum with great results too ! Cheers
Which cycle do you suggest??