Spelt Sourdough Bread

Originally a 100% spelt bread I turned this recipe into a spelt/rye bread. Like the original it's made with spelt sourdough but I exchanged some of the spelt flour for rye flour; I simply like that better. Some of the spelt is prepared in a mash allowing the flour to bind and retain more water. Another one of Ketex' great recipes.

Sourdough

• 120g (4 1/4 oz) whole grain spelt flour
• 120ml (4 oz) water
• 12g (3/8 oz) wheat or spelt sourdough starter

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 16 hours.

Soaker

• 150g (5 1/4 oz) cracked wheat or spelt
• 150ml (5 oz) hot water
• 12g (1 3/4 tsp) salt

Combine in a bowl or jar and stir well. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let ferment for 16 hours.

Spelt Mash

• 50g (1 3/4 oz) white spelt flour
• 150ml  (5 oz) water

In a small pot stir flour into the water. Place on the stove over low heat. Constantly stirring heat up the mash until it turns into pudding-like consistency - this happened in an instant for me. Take off of the stove immediately, cover with a lid and leave out at room for 16 hours also.

Main Dough

• Sourdough
• Soaker
• Mash
• 200g (7 oz) light spelt flour
• 150g (5 1/4 oz) whole grain rye flour
• 50ml (1 5/8 oz) water
• 12g (3/8 oz) fresh wet yeast or 1 3/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 3/4 tsp of sugar and 45ml (1 1/2 oz) of water, mixed and let stand for about 10 minutes
• 1 tsp barley malt powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead with the dough hook on low speed for 10 minutes. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

On lightly floured surface form dough into elongated shape and brush with cold water. Roll in cracked rye (or spelt) and transfer with seam up into floured rectangular banneton. Cover with plastic wrap and let prove at 27-32°C (80-90 °F) for 75 minutes. You can roughly achieve that temperature by placing the banneton in your oven with only the oven light on.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 240 °C (465 °F).

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully turn dough over onto it. Cut lightly into the surface along the long axis and transfer to the oven. Spray a lot of water into the oven using a spray bottle and bake for 15 minutes. Then release remaining steam from the oven and reduce temperature to 180°C (355 °F). Bake with falling temperature for another 45 minutes.

Let cool on cooling rack. 

The original recipe on ketex.de is a 100% spelt bread. I replaced the cracked spelt with cracked wheat, since that's what I can buy at the grocery store. I also used rye instead of spelt in a couple more places, because I prefer the taste of rye breads.