Unfortunately, statements are still often made recommending spelt and PureSpelt for people suffering from gluten intolerance (coeliac or celiac disease). Spelt and PureSpelt belong to the group of grains that contain gluten and it is thus imperative that they are not eaten by sufferers of coeliac disease.
A finely sour-scented, crispy and highly aromatic bread that requires quite some time to prepare. But the effort is well worth it.
Preliminary time: Preparation of the sarter culture: 5-6 days
Preparation time: Sourdough: 1 day
Baking or cooking time: approx. 50 minutes
Approx. 250 g of PureSpelt whole grain flour
Approx. 2.5 dl of water
10-20 g of PureSpelt sourdough starter culture (see above)
50 g of PureSpelt whole grain flour
0.5 dl of water
120 g of active PureSpelt sourdough (see above)
Approx. 3 dl of water
1 tablespoon of plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon of psyllium seed husks, ground
300 g of PureSpelt semi-white flour with 20% grist, semi-white flour or smoked flour
100 g of PureSpelt whole grain flour
1 1/2-2 teaspoons of salt (approx. 10 g)
PureSpelt flour for forming the dough
Sourdough starter culture (mature culture): Mix together 50 g of PureSpelt whole grain flour and 0.5 dl of water in a clean preserving jar, place the lid loosely on the jar and allow to stand for 8-12 hours at 25-30°C.
The next day the volume may already have increased or bubbles may form.
Add another 50 g of flour and 0.5 dl of water, mix well, cover loosely and allow to ferment for 8-12 hours. This will develop fine sour aromas. Repeat this process 3-4 times over a period of 3-4 days. This is then a starter culture for the production of sourdough. Covered, this can be kept in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks without feeding. At this point there is the possibility of giving away some of the starter culture to friends and other interested persons, who can then directly start the production of their own sourdough (see below).
For the bread dough production we need just 1-2 tablespoons of sourdough. Put the rest in the refrigerator and feed again every 1-2 weeks using 50 g of PureSpelt flour and 0.5 dl of water. Using this method you can keep and use the sourdough starter culture for years. The lactic acid bacteria and yeasts contained in the starter culture feed on the flour, water and oxygen.
Sourdough: 8-12 hours before bread dough production begins, pour 10-20 g of the starter culture into a new preserving jar. Mix with 50 g of PureSpelt whole grain flour and 0.5 dl of water, cover and allow to develop at a temperature of 25-30°C. The volume doubles and the sourdough becomes active.
Bread dough: Briefly knead the sourdough together with the water, yoghurt, psyllium seed husks, flour and salt to form a smooth dough. Cover and allow it to rise for 5-8 hours, drawing up or folding the dough several times during this period.
Shaping: Place the risen dough onto a lightly floured working surface, flatten slightly and fold in all corners to form a ball with a good surface tension. Line a fermenting basket or bowl with a cloth, sprinkle with flour and place the dough ball with the folded in side facing upwards. Cover and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes so that the volume once again increases.
Baking: Preheat the oven and a cast iron baking pan (a pan without plastic parts), including the lid, to 230-250 °C for 30-40 minutes.
Turn out the baked dough ball onto a strip of baking paper, remove the floured cloth and cut the dough surface as desired using a razor blade or a sharp knife. Remove the baking pan from the oven, carefully lift off the lid and immediately place the dough ball in it using the baking paper. Replace the lid on the baking the pan and bake for 30 minutes at 230-250°C without opening the oven. After the 30 minutes lift off the pan lid, reduce the oven temperature to 190°C and bake for a further 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the loaf to cool on a cake rack so that it remains crispy.
Psyllium seed husks (plantain species) are available in drugstores and health food shops or from wholesalers. They are a vegetable swelling agent and are rich in fibre giving the PuireSpelt yeast dough more stability.
If you have too much starter culture, it can be used in omelette dough, cake doughs or for the immediate baking of other yeast pastries, etc.
IG Dinkel, Judith Gmür-Stalder
