Cooking with Spelt 101
Introduction
Spelt wheat is the grain of the month in this series on Cooking with Whole Grains 101.
Names for Spelt
Spelt is a type of ancient wheat also known as hulled wheat or dinkel wheat, its German name.
Spelt is known in Italian as farro grande (large wheat), while emmer is known as farro medio (medium wheat) and einkorn is known as farro piccolo (small wheat).
Spelt within the Wheat Family Tree
Spelt is the most direct ancestor of modern wheat and has 42 chromosomes, just like modern wheat, as show in chart below.
The wheat family is a result of crossing the original einkorn grass with wild goat grasses.
The above chart shows the relationship of the commonly known cultivated wheat varieties – for simplicity, the wild goat grass parents have been left out.
The newer wheat varieties inherited the genetic code of both einkorn and the wheat grasses, thus increasing their genetic code.
History of Spelt
It is believed that spelt was cultivated over 9000 years ago in the Near East and Europe.
Spelt, along with barley, was one of the grains found in the rations of roman soldiers, known for their endurance.
Spelt was introduced to the United States by Swiss immigrants in the late 1800s.
With the advent of industrialized agriculture, spelt fell out of favor because the spelt grain does not separate easily from its hull.
In contrast, modern wheat grain can easily be separated from its hull right in the field using a threshing machine.
Spelt has made a comeback in recent years thanks to the growth in organic farming because it requires less fertilizer and is more disease resistant.
Gluten in Spelt
While spelt does contain gluten, it seems to be better tolerated by many with gluten sensitivities as is documented in great detail in this post.
Spelt Nutritional Value
The nutritional value of any grain depends on its growing conditions.
Therefore, while it is hard to give exact numbers, spelt is generally considered to be high in protein, in B vitamins and minerals including manganese, phosphorus and magnesium.
According to Sue Becker, spelt contains mucopolysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate that digests very slowly and is known to be good for the immune system, inflammation and bone health.
Forms of Spelt
In the United States, spelt is sold in the form of whole spelt berries, cracked spelt, whole spelt flour, sifted (refined) white spelt flour, pearled spelt and rolled spelt flakes.
Sprouted spelt variants of the above can also be found.
While more common in Germany, green spelt that has been harvested at the green dough stage, prior to full maturity, is also sold whole or cracked under the German name gruenkern.
Aside from white spelt flour and pearled spelt, the other variants of spelt mentioned above are considered whole grains and will be discussed in more detail below.
Culinary Uses of Spelt
There is a wonderful range of culinary uses for spelt berries, whether they be whole, sprouted or ground into cracked berries and flour.
Toasted Spelt Berries
Toasting spelt berries gives them a nutty flavor and it is a common step used prior to boiling them.
Toasting has the added benefit of removing some phytic acid in the bran layer.
The berries can be dry toasted on a stovetop:
- Place skillet on stovetop set to medium heat.
- Once skillet is hot, add spelt berries one layer deep.
- Stir frequently with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes until grains are slightly darker and emanate a nutty fragrance.
- To prevent burning: transfer from skillet immediately (if saving for later use) OR add water for boiling immediately.
If you prefer to toast with oil, one tablespoon of oil per cup of spelt berries can be used.
Boiled Spelt Berries
Instructions below are for whole spelt berries, you can divide cooking time by half when using cracked spelt berries.
Stovetop Method
- Normal liquid to spelt berries ratio is 2 to 1, plus a pinch of salt.
- Bring spelt berries to a boil then simmer for about 50 minutes.
- When the grain is cooked, it will be a uniform color throughout when cut in two.
Notes:
- If soaked overnight, ratio can be reduced to 1 ½ volume liquid to 1 volume spelt berries.
- Toasting spelt berries beforehand will reduce cooking time by about 5 minutes but liquid to grain ratio will be unchanged at 2 to 1.
Pressure Cooking
- Pressure cook spelt berries for 20 minutes at high pressure with at least 20 minutes of natural release.
- Soaking overnight will reduce pressure cooking time by about 10 minutes.
Pasta Method
- Spelt berries can also be cooked like pasta by being placed in a large volume of boiling water (about 5 times grain volume).
- Start checking for doneness after 45 minutes.
- Drain using a strainer or remove grains with a spider.
Cracked Spelt Berries
Cracked spelt berries are whole spelt berries that have been coarsely ground in a stone grain mill or using a high speed blender.
Cracked spelt berries are not commonly found in stores but are relatively easy to make at home.
To make your own cracked spelt berries:
- Grind spelt grain coarsely
- Sift out finer flour and keep for other uses.
As stated in the previous section, cracked spelt berries generally take half the amount of time to cook as whole spelt berries.
Cracked spelt berries tend to be sticky and are better suited for porridges or risotto like dishes.
Cracked Spelt Side Dish
To make cracked spelt with the least stickiness, you can generally follow the detailed instructions provided for making cracked Kamut with the following tweaks:
- Because spelt is softer than Kamut, it cracks more easily into smaller pieces. You will be best off using the coarsest grind possible in your grain mill or pulsing briefly in your high speed blender.
- Cracked spelt requires less simmer time than Kamut, about 20 minutes (vs 30 minutes for the cracked Kamut recipe.)
Cracked Spelt Porridge
Cracked spelt is a great option to include in porridges.
When making cracked spelt porridge, there is no need to sift the cracked spelt pieces.
You will want to use at minimum 3 to 1 ratio of liquid to cracked spelt and stir frequently during 20 minutes of cooking time to prevent bottom of the pot from sticking.
Alternatively, you can soak the crack spelt in 3 to 1 ratio of liquid to cracked spelt overnight.
Cooking time will be reduced to 10 minutes.
Spelt Flakes
Spelt berries are soft enough to be turned into rolled spelt flakes, similar to rolled oats.
Spelt berries need to be moistened and then passed through a grain flaker.
I don’t yet have a grain flaker but the website with the best selection is Pleasant Hill Grains, an affiliate sponsor.
Whole Spelt Flour
Having whole spelt flour on hand opens up a world of delicious culinary possibilities.
Whole spelt flour is a good all around choice for making whole spelt bread, pasta and pastries.
You can mill your own whole spelt flour at home from wheat berries using a grain mill or even a high speed blender as detailed in this post.
You can also find quality, fresh whole spelt from artisanal millers close to where you live – a FREE PDF list is included in this post.
Whole Spelt Bread
Spelt bread dough is an absolute pleasure to work with.
The dough comes together relatively quickly and stretches easily.
Because it is the closest ancestor of modern wheat, spelt bread is known to rise relatively well, better than other ancient grains.
I have used my basic 100% whole wheat sourdough bread recipe to make whole spelt sourdough bread without the need for any adjustments.
Spelt bread has a mild, nutty flavor which is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Whole Spelt Pasta
Whole spelt flour turns into a very stretchy dough that works perfectly for making pasta.
The two ingredient pasta recipe posted here will work well for whole spelt pasta.
Whole spelt pasta will not have the yellow tinge found in whole durum and whole Kamut pasta.
Rather, it will be more on the brown side, similar to store bought whole wheat pastas.
On the other hand, spelt pasta will be slightly more tender than Kamut pasta while still being sturdy.
For example, I tested out making Chinese dumplings using whole spelt pasta dough and they held up very well when boiled.
Spelt is a good choice for making whole grain pasta and a close second to emmer, my all time favorite for whole grain pasta making because of its softer bran layer.
Whole Spelt Pastries
Whole spelt flour is known to work well in pastry making though it has more gluten than whole wheat pastry flour.
I could not find any consistent guidelines regarding substituting whole wheat pastry flour with whole spelt flour.
Generally, I have found that because whole spelt flour has a stronger bran layer than whole wheat pastry flour, it takes longer to absorb liquids.
For example, below I added the same amount of liquid to the same weight of whole wheat pastry flour and home milled whole spelt flour.
As can be seen in picture below, the pastry flour side was substantially more liquid and bubbling while the bran in the spelt flour side stood out more.
Generally speaking, you are likely to benefit from letting your spelt flour batter rest a while before you decide if more water it needed.
I am still testing our making whole spelt pastries, in the meantime here are a couple of online recipes that you may want to try: spelt flour cake and caramel apple spelt tart.
Green Spelt – Gruenkern
Green spelt, known as gruenkern in Germany where it is most popular, is spelt that has been harvested at the green dough stage prior to full maturity.
The soft berries are then slowly roasted until they are lightly toasted.
This process bears some similarity to Middle Eastern method of making freekeh, made from durum wheat, as discussed in this blog post.
Gruenkern can be used as a side dish, in soups or to make veggie burgers.
To cook gruenkern, you will want to use the typical 2 to 1 ratio of liquid to grain and simmer for 30 minutes.
Gruenkern has a delicious, rich, mellow flavor and hopefully it will become more readily available in the United States in the coming years.
Sprouted Spelt Berries
Whole spelt berries can be sprouted.
The desired sprout shoot length (acrospire) varies depending on the intended end result.
How to Sprout Spelt Berries
- Soak half a cup of spelt berries in 3 times the volume of water overnight.
- Drain the spelt berries and place in a half gallon mason jar at a 45° angle.
- Rinse and drain twice a day.
- Per this post:
- for sprouted flour, it is sufficient for the sprout shoot to barely emerge.
- for diastatic malt you will want to let the sprout shoot grow to slightly less than the length of the grain.
- for use as a side dish or in salads, the sprouted spelt can be used at any point where the shoot has emerged and is less than the length of the grain.
Blanching/Boiling Sprouted Spelt Berries
While some people consume sprouts raw, it is often advised to at least blanch the sprouts in boiling water for one minute and then place in ice water.
This method insures the destruction of pathogens that can sometimes appear if sprouting is not done in optimal circumstances.
I have also seen recipes where the sprouts are boiled for about 5 minutes.
What will work best for you will depend on the stage of sprouting that is your preference.
For spelt berries where the sprout barely emerges, you may want to boil your sprouts longer so that they are translucent in appearance and tender throughout, without any trace of starchiness.
How to Dehydrate Sprouted Spelt Berries
Sprouted spelt berries are often dehydrated to save for later use or mill into flour.
Air Drying
If you live in a drier climate, you can air dry berries by spreading them out one layer deep on a clean dry surface and covering them with a fine mesh to protect from birds and insects or by using a hanging mesh rack for about 24 hours.
Dehydrator
Place sprouted spelt berries one layer deep in a dehydrator at 110° Fahrenheit or below (to preserve enzymes) for a minimum of 12 hours.
Oven
You can also use your oven to dehydrate sprouted spelt berries at the lowest setting it allows (mine is 170° Fahrenheit) for a minimum of 4 hours, keeping in mind enzymes will not be preserved.
Sprouted Spelt Flour
Sprouted spelt flour, like other sprouted flours, is becoming increasingly popular because of its many benefits including greater digestibility and higher nutrient content.
Another benefit of sprouted flours is that the enzymes in the flour reduce the need for a long fermentation when baking breads while yielding excellent flavor.
Sprouted spelt flour is naturally sweeter because the starches in the spelt berry have started their transformation into simpler sugars.
Some people will simply add some sprouted spelt flour to their regular bread dough for added sweetness and enzyme activity.
Keep in mind when purchasing sprouted spelt flour that some sprouted flours are sifted and therefore not a whole grain product.
Making your own sprouted flour or dough is typically more cost effective and the freshest option.
Sprouted spelt flour is made by dry milling sprouted spelt berries as described below.
Dry Milling Sprouted Spelt Berries into Flour
To make sprouted spelt flour, the spelt berries are sprouted as detailed above until the shoot is barely emerging and then dehydrated below around 110° Farenheit so as to preserve the enzymes.
Once the berries are fully dry, then they can be milled using any dry milling technique.
Wet Milling Sprouted Spelt Berries into Dough
Sprouted spelt berries can be wet milled and used immediately to make a bread dough or other baked goods.
For home wet milling, if they don’t have a dedicated wet mill, people will use a food processor, meat grinder, or even a masticating juicer as detailed in this post.
Spelt Malt
Sprouted spelt can be dried and ground into malt powder using a mortal and pestle or a mill.
According to this excellent post on home made malt, rootlets should be removed to prevent bitterness.
There are two forms of malt: diastatic malt and non-diastatic malt.
Diastatic Malt
Diastatic malt is made by drying sprouted spelt berries at low enough temperatures for the enzymes to still be active (below 110° Fahrenheit is safe) a detailed above.
Diastatic malt is used in small quantities in bread baking to help with leavening.
Non-diastatic Malt
Non-diastatic malt is roasted at higher temperatures which deactivates the enzymes.
Non-diastatic malt is a flavor enhancer for malted beverages and a post related to spelt malt including specific roasting temperatures can be found here.
Spelt Malt Syrup
To make malt syrup, dilute the non-diastatic malt in some warm water, using 20% of the malt weight as a guide, per this post.
Spelt Wheatgrass
Spelt is very hardy and can easily be grown into spelt wheatgrass.
Spelt wheatgrass contains vitamin C and chlorophyll which is not present in the dry grain form.
The process of growing spelt into wheatgrass is a matter of placing it in a well drained and well ventilated growing medium after it sprouts, as instructed in prior section.
While soilless wheatgrass can be grown, using a growing medium will ensure optimal success.
If you live in a mild climate, you can also grow spelt wheatgrass outdoors – you will just want to be sure to remove weeds.
Water lightly to keep soil moist, but not water logged.
The grass can be harvested when it is between 4 to 12 inches.
Some people will allow the grass to grow back up to a couple of times and harvest again, keeping in mind the first harvest is the most nutritious.
Spelt wheatgrass can be juiced or used in smoothies.
Wheatgrass is very powerful and should be used in small quantities – in particular if you are not used to it.
Spelt Rejuvelac
Spelt rejuvelac is an enzyme rich beverage with a mild lemony taste and a cheesy fragrance.
Spelt can be made into rejuvelac by placing sprouted spelt in filtered water for one to two days.
And in depth post on making rejuvelac can be found here.
Home Made Spelt Cereal
If you are looking to have a similar texture to flakes and don’t have a grain flaker, you can also bake a very thin dough at a low temperature and break into small pieces to resemble a cereal as detailed here and here.
Cookbooks about Spelt
Below are a few cookbooks emphasizing spelt recipes that you may find useful, though they are not plant based:
- Baking with Spelt by Tracy Morgan
- Spelt by Roger Saul
- The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book by Sue Becker
If you are looking to bake with sprouted grains in general, Peter Reinhart’s Bread Revolution cookbook is very helpful even though it contains few recipes specifically dedicated to spelt.
Where to Buy Spelt
Local Grocery
You may possibly buy spelt flour and sprouted spelt flour in your local grocery or health food store.
However, spelt berries, spelt flakes and gruenkern are harder to find locally: seeking out online sources will be a better option.
Online Vendors
As always, it is best to seek out vendors closest to where you live to get the lowest cost shipping.
This post on where to buy whole grains contains a FREE PDF download with 32 online sources of spelt berries and/or flour listed by the U.S. state the vendor operates from.
Lastly, you can also search on Amazon for “spelt berries”, “sprouted spelt flour”, “gruenkern” and “spelt flakes”.
Vendors with Drop Off Locations
If there is an Azure Standard drop off location near you, their price for organic spelt berries is very affordable due to the drastically lower shipping costs.
Azure also sells whole spelt flour, sprouted spelt berries and sprouted spelt flour.
Azure Standard is particularly competitive if you have many heavy organic bulk items to purchase and I am happy to count them as an affiliate partner.
Another online affiliate partner with some drop off locations and competitive pricing is Country Life Natural Foods.
Country Life Natural Foods sells bulk organic spelt berries as well as organic spelt flour.
Storing Spelt
Once you have purchased your quality spelt berries, you will want to store them well to optimize their freshness.
This post on storing whole grains provides various options depending on the quantity and length of storage time you have in mind.
Conclusion
Spelt is another versatile ancient grain that is much appreciated for its health benefits and its ability to easily replace whole wheat flour.
If you are trying spelt for the first time, you are likely to be especially impressed by its performance in bread making.
Hopefully, this post will have peaked your interest in spelt and given you enough information to try it out.
Chances are, you won’t be disappointed.
Wishing you a grainlicious experience!
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