Spelt Flour

Flour isn’t a product most people get excited about because the threshed or hulled grains are not exactly eye candy but if looks are deceiving, flour is at the top of the list because flour is the staff of life and the key ingredient in so many of the foods we rely on every day for nourishment.

There are dozens of types of flour and most all-purpose flour on the market is durum or common wheat but there is another grain called spelt that makes breads, pastas, pancakes, cookies, cakes and crackers more flavorful.  Much more popular in Europe than the US, spelt is often (but not always) well tolerated by people with wheat intolerance because of its low gluten content.

Spelt has a very hard husk which requires the grain to be de-hulled, an extra step in the milling process making spelt flour more expensive than conventional flour.  The unusual nutty flavor of spelt is so delicious in food made with whole grain spelt flour that you will find yourself using this flour in more and more recipes.

One of my favorite everyday recipes for bread (the bread machine version – I use the Zojirushi which is available through Amazon for under $200) requires spelt flour. The loaf  is aromatic and fills the house with that yeasty nutty smell that makes you never want to leave, and the flavor of the bread is so flavorful, that it’s hard to think of anything better than a fresh piece of spelt bread with butter and jam.

Spelt Bread
2/3 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1-3/4 cups of spelt flour (I use Daisy brand)*
1/4 cup of whole grain spelt flour (I use Daisy brand)*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons quick acting yeast

* For a heavier, nuttier tasting bread, increase the whole grain spelt flour and reduce the plain spelt flour by the same amount. The total flour should equal 2 cups.

• Place the water and olive oil in the canister of a 1-pound bread machine. Add 1 cup of the spelt flour.
• Add the salt and sugar followed by 1/4 cup of the whole grain spelt flour and 3/4 cup of the spelt flour.
• Pour the yeast on top of the flour and start the machine (I use the quick-setting to have a loaf in 2 hours).

Spelt flour is gaining in popularity and can be found at most fine grocery stores or on-line in a variety of brands:  Bob’s Red Mill (6.5 pounds for $12), King Arthur (1 pound for $9), Arrowhead Mills (2.5 pounds for $7) and Daisy Flours (2 pounds for $6 or 25 pounds for $50). I use Daisy flour which has limited distribution in the Pennsylvania/New York area but the company also sells their flour on-line through their company website:  www.daisyflour.com.