How to Bake with Spelt Flour (Beginner-Friendly Tips)

Spelt flour, also known as Dinkel in many European countries, is an ancient grain that hasn’t been modified like wheat. It has a mild nutty flavour and is higher in protein than white flour. One of the biggest benefits I've found is that spelt flour is easy to digest and gentle on the gut. While it does contain gluten and is not suitable for those with coeliac disease, it is a great option for people who are intolerant to wheat, like me.

I have been baking cakes, slices, pancakes, and cookies with spelt flour for over fifteen years and started experimenting with bread about seven years ago. I typically buy two types of spelt flour: wholegrain (or wholewheat) and white spelt flour. I compare white spelt flour to all-purpose or plain flour, as it's known in Australia and the UK, since it has been sifted and refined. This type of flour can easily be incorporated into recipes without your family and friends noticing the difference. However, it does have less fibre than wholegrain or wholewheat spelt flour.

When I use white spelt flour, I typically substitute it for regular flour in my recipes at a 1:1 ratio, and it usually works well. For example, if you have a favourite chocolate cake recipe that calls for 250g of all-purpose flour, you can simply replace it with 250g of white spelt flour. For baking butter cookies, brownies, or fluffy bread rolls, I prefer to use white spelt flour.

When I use white spelt flour, I typically substitute it for regular flour in my recipes at a 1:1 ratio, and it usually works well. For example, if you have a favorite chocolate cake recipe that calls for 250g of all-purpose flour, you can simply replace it with 250g of white spelt flour. For baking butter cookies, brownies, or fluffy bread rolls, I prefer to use white spelt flour.

Top 3 White Spelt Flour Recipes

Top 3 Wholegrain Spelt Flour Recipes

Using wholegrain spelt flour is not always suitable for some recipes. I know what I can get away with using wholegrain spelt flour in healthier muffins, carrot cake, banana bread and some bread recipes. Baking bread with wholegrain spelt flour is a little trickier. The moisture content is hard to achieve a fluffy loaf, and the texture is dense. I will often add olive oil to my bread to assist with the moisture in the dough and water to the oven for steam.

I am always experimenting and testing new recipes. Please email me with any questions about baking with spelt flour, or requests for what you would like to see.