What is spelt flour? April 18
Spelt flour is one of the more popular non-wheat flours available. It shows up in pastas, breads and in a variety of specifically wheat-free recipes. But what exactly is spelt flour?
Spelt is a cereal grain in the wheat family. The grain has been cultivated for centuries, in both central Europe and the middle east.It looks very similar to wheat in appearance, but it has a much harder outer shell before it has been milled. It has a nutty and slightly sweet flavor, similar to that of whole wheat flour. It does contain some gluten, so one of the reasons that spelt is rather popular is that it is easy to substitute it into all wheat cookie, bread, etc. recipes, where you will get to enjoy the flavor of spelt without compromising the texture of your baked good.
Another reason that spelt flour is popular is that it has a fairly strong nutritional profile. Spelt has slightly fewer calories than wheat flour and is somewhat higher in protein. The flour is easy to digest but is lower in fiber than wheat.
The gluten in spelt flour is a little unusual. Unlike wheat flour, which is quite resiliant and often needs a long kneading time (with breads) to strengthen its gluten and give the bread structure, the gluten in spelt flour breaks down fairly easily. This means that it is pretty critical not to overmix it, or risk having a crumbly texture imparted into whatever you’re making.
Food bloggers, naturally, like to experiment with spelt flour. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
maryt Apr 18
i love your blog because you do all of the research for me! i’ve been meaning to learn about spelt flour for forever, so I was very happy to read this today….thanks!
Sally Apr 18
Thanks Nicole! I’ve used spelt flour before, but I haven’t known exactly what it was that made it different from wheat. Now that I know, I have a better idea what recipes would better suit it.
Ella Apr 23
One thing to keep in mind is that spelt shouldn’t be used as a substitute for people with a wheat allergy. Since it is in the same family, it usually causes the same reaction. It’s a common misconception that it can be substituted so my allergist made sure to point this out when I was diagnosed. But if you have no wheat allergies - bake away because it sounds great!
Christine Feb 6
Hello! Could you advise where can I buy pure spelt flour? Thank you!
Bettye Feb 9
You can buy it from www.bobsredmill.com They also have tons of other interesting grain flours, etc. I tried this in my bread machine and the loaf was about 3 inches tall. Guess I should’ve used part white flour also.
thresea stimatze Apr 25
please tell me the difference in spelt. The discription says it is in
the wheat family, yet later says it is a not wheat flour.
thresea
Cathy Aug 29
Spelt is a variety of wheat. Saying that is “one of the more popular non-wheat flours” and that it is an ingredient “in a variety of specifically wheat-free recipes” is completely false information. In fact, the FDA states that spelt products cannot claim to be “wheat free” on their packages. Please consider revising or removing your blog entry. Thanks.