This is my everyday spelt bread. White spelt flour, no sugar, and an airy loaf with a delicate crust and a soft, tender inside.
The dough is easy to handle and doesn’t need a mixer. Just your hands and a good knead.
You can bake it as one loaf for the middle of the table, or shape it into individual rolls.
It’s a lighter alternative to white bread, and the smell of it baking at home is the best part.
My tip: Put a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven when the bread goes in. The steam gives you a crisp crust and helps the loaf rise.
White spelt bread is made from white spelt flour, instant yeast, salt, olive oil, and lukewarm water, with no sugar. Knead 10–15 minutes, rise about 1 hour, shape a loaf, rise 40–50 minutes, then bake at 425°F (220°C) conventional with steam for 35–40 minutes. Total time is about 2½ hours.
White Spelt Bread (No Sugar, No Mixer)
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast.
- Add the salt and oil and stir.
- Add the water gradually and start kneading. Knead for 10–15 minutes, until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic. If it’s dry, add a little water. If it’s sticky, add a little flour.
- Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- On a lightly floured surface, press the air out of the dough. Flatten it into a rectangle the width of your loaf pan, roll it up, and shape it into a loaf.
- Place it in a parchment-lined loaf pan, cover, and let rise another 40–50 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) on the conventional setting (not convection). For a crisp crust, place a metal pan on the bottom of the oven.
- Score the dough with a sharp knife, one long slit down the length of the loaf.
- Put the bread in the oven and immediately pour ½ cup of boiling water into the metal pan.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Knead thoroughly, at least 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. This develops what little gluten spelt has.
- Expect a slower rise. Without sugar the yeast works more slowly. You can extend the first rise to 1¼ hours.
- Steam in the oven matters. Boiling water in a pan on the oven floor creates a crisp crust and helps the bread rise.
- Score with confidence. A sharp, clean cut lets the bread expand where you want it instead of tearing randomly.
- Olive oil → any neutral oil.
- Instant yeast → active dry yeast (same amount); dissolve it in the lukewarm water first.
Frequently asked questions
No. Spelt is a type of wheat and contains gluten, though less than regular bread flour. It isn’t safe for people with celiac disease.
Yes. This recipe has no sugar at all. The rise is just a little slower, so give the first rise up to 1¼ hours.
Usually the dough wasn’t kneaded long enough or didn’t fully double. Knead at least 10 minutes and wait for the dough to double, not just for the clock.
This recipe was tested with white spelt flour. Whole spelt flour absorbs liquid differently, so the dough may need a little more water and the loaf will be denser.
Once fully cooled, keep it wrapped at room temperature for a couple of days, or slice and freeze it.
