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My favorite Sourdough 50% Spelt loaf

Mebake's picture
Mebake

My favorite Sourdough 50% Spelt loaf

This is a 50% spelt Sourdough I made up, adapting the formula from Hamelman's Mich callier stiff levain:

Levain: 275g @ 65% hydration fed with (40% seplt, and 60% AP)

Final Dough:  - 505g water

                   - 720g Flour (50%AP, 50% WHole SPelt Flour)

                   - 30g (1T) Sea salt.

                   - All Levain (275g)

                   -----------------

                   1500g dough @ 70% Hydration

Baking day: I dissolved the stiff levain in 505g water, then added the 720g Flour. Left to Autolize for 30 min, then salt went into the dough. I french-Kneaded  the dough for 10 min. let rest for 5-10 minutes, then french-kneaded for anoth 5 minutes, and shaped to a tight boule.

Fermenation 2.5 Hours with 2 folds. I then divided the dough into 750g doughs, preshapd gently, and then shaped after an hour. Final fermentation for 2 Hours, and into a hot 500F oven reduced to 430F with steam for 15 minutes, 30 min utes without steam.

 

Taste was very pleasent: typical of mild sourdoughs, with nutty aftertaste from spelt. Versatile for spreads, or even alone!

Khalid

 

Comments

GaryJ's picture
GaryJ

That's a fine looking loaf Khalid. I have got a couple of bags of spelt flour in the cupboard - I think I will give your formula a go when I get a chance. Cheers, Gary

Mebake's picture
Mebake

Thanks, gary!

I just did it with spelt because i had no whole wheat flour n hand. It turned out to be better! I will tweak the formula to include some multigrain soaker.

Khalid

Franko's picture
Franko

Very nice looking crust and crumb Khalid! I've never done anything with spelt yet, but you've inspired me to give it a try. Thanks

Franko

Mebake's picture
Mebake

Do give it a try Franko. Note that i used a stiff starter at 65% hydr, before i built it into the levain.

Thanks!

jackie9999's picture
jackie9999

I've been adding about 70g spelt to my 500g bread flour boule (Davids unoriginal) for the past few months. I played around with measurements and found I like this the best. I don't like the taste of wholewheat so was surprised to find I really like the spelt. As Khalid mentioned, it has a faint nutty taste..but I find it also makes the sourdough a little moister..even after a few days on the counter.

rayel's picture
rayel

Hi Mebake, I like both loaves and super nice crumb. Both seem to have an open crumb, the rounder loaf a little more so? No roaster pan this time?  My only exposure to spelt, is in the form of spelt pretzels, which flavor I really enjoy. nice pics. Ray

hanseata's picture
hanseata

Your loaves look beautiful! I prefer spelt to whole wheat, too. And I find it doesn't perform too much different from whole wheat, either, it rises nearly as well.

Karin

 

holds99's picture
holds99

Both your crust and crumb look very nice.  I'm going to give your 50/50 (spelt/A.P.) formula at try.  If my calculations are right, your final dough water was 468g and the weight your levain (65% hydration) amounted to about 23% of the final dough weight (water and flour).  Does that sound about right?

I really like the taste of spelt in  loaves.  I've made Gerard Rebaud's pain de compagne a number of times.  I haven't seen Rebaud's recipe anywhere but from what I can determine from reading, it appears he adds a combined mix of equal amounts of spelt and rye (7.5% spelt/7.5% rye) for a total of 15% spelt/rye and 85% white flour.  Hard as it is to believe, he hand grinds his spelt (and rye, I think) but don't know what type white flour he uses.  One thing I do know is that he gets incredible results.  Anyway, I'm anxious to try your 50/50 mix. 

Thanks for sharing.  Best wishes in your baking adventures.

Howard

RobynNZ's picture
RobynNZ

Hi Howard

It has been a pleasure to 'see' you here again. When I first found TFL you kindly sent me some scans from "Bread". I am now the happy owner of my own copy.

I write because I wondered if you had seen M.C.'s series on Gerard Rebaud.

http://www.farine-mc.com/2009/11/meet-baker-gerard-rubaud.html

There are links at the bottom of the post to a number of related posts. It's a wonderful series and I thoroughly recommend them to you if you haven't seen them already.

Shiao-Ping worked from M.C's notes to make a GR miche

http://www.farine-mc.com/2009/11/meet-baker-gerard-rubaud.html

A number of others posted with their take on breads made using his flour ratios too. A 'search' would soon take you to them if you were so inclined.

Kind regards, Robyn

holds99's picture
holds99

Thanks for your kind words.  So good to hear from you and thanks for the link to M.C.'s series on Gerard Rebaud.  I'll definitely take a look, and also at Shiao-Ping's post. 

Glad you wera able to get a copy of "BREAD".  It remains my favorite book.

Best to you and yours,

Howard

Mebake's picture
Mebake

Thanks Jacki, yes it does lend some moisture to the crumb, but at 50% the crumb is ideal.

Thanks Ray, i always use the roaster with a thermal stone wedged in the lid as my baking device. Yes, the rounder loaf was shaped as per hamelman's instructions, very gently, and yielded more open crumb.

Karin, thanks. Yes spelt is very similar to wholewheat, but absorbes less hydration. I really like to work with a spelt dough, don't you :)

THanks, Howard. its about right, i think. I just used spelt instead of wheat, and it was a success.

KHalid

 

 

 

steven DB's picture
steven DB

I always thought that spelt makes some of the best sourdough, but being on a health kick, I wanted to try it with 70% Spelt so I used Hi-Gluten 30%.

Is there such a thing as organic Hi-gluten? Because all my other flours are organic.

I did use less salt (18gr) and my regular firm white starter, just because I had refreshed the day before. I used most of your techniques but at the final stage, I let it ferment in a cold room for about 5hours.

The result was great.

Go Sourdo!

Steven

steven DB's picture
steven DB

I tried to add some pictures of the 70% Spelt, but the file size is too big.

Any tips?

 

Franko's picture
Franko

If you open the pix in whatever photo editor you have and reduce the pixel size to 800x600 you can upload them, and then send them to the TFL editor..and then 'insert' them into a post.

steven DB's picture
steven DB
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    • spelt 70%
Mebake's picture
Mebake

Nice Crust and crumb there Steven! Very good indeed for a 70% spelt.

I bake with AP exclusively, due to the scarcity of Bread Flour in Dubai. I love the rustic look on your boule steve, and scoring too.

 

Khalid