I’ve been playing around with spelt focaccia for years, both with yeast and sourdough starter, and am finally sharing the perfect version of it. This is crisp, lightly oily focaccia with a very bubbly soft interior crumb – exactly as it should be. The method is incredibly simple with one round of stretches and folds before an overnight rise in the refrigerator and one more before rising again at room temperature. No need for kneading here.

This is a 100% spelt flour recipe (I don’t use conventional wheat flour in any of my recipes) and the taste is fantastic. Pictured is with light spelt but you can use a mix of whole grains. More on this below.

Recipe Rundown: Spelt Focaccia

• Texture: a light crisp exterior that’s a bit oily, and a very soft, chewy interior.
• Flavour: olive oil, salt, and spelt. It’s nuttier than focaccia made with plain wheat flour. The flavour will vary a bit depending on the olive oil and honey used. I like very strong versions of both to add more complexity to the bread.
• Difficulty: much easier than you think. The dough does almost all the work and you don’t need to shape or knead once during the process – just a couple rounds of stretches and folds, then tipping the dough out onto the baking sheet.

Ingredients

• Spelt flour: for the lightest bread, use all light or sifted spelt flour. This works well with up to 50% whole grain spelt flour but it will be a little denser and heavier.
• Olive oil: you will taste the oil so choose one you like. If you really like olive oil, go for one that’s slightly bitter and fruity – it does make a difference and the taste is excellent with a good oil.
• Honey: this matters a bit less as you’re not using much of it, but you can taste undertones of the honey if you use something with a strong flavour, like dark forest honey. Use maple syrup if needed.
• Yeast: pictured is fresh yeast but this works just as well with dried yeast. I haven’t been happy enough with sourdough versions of this recipe to share that yet.

For more 100% spelt flour flatbread recipes, try my spelt naan, easy spelt tortillas, and spelt pita bread.

Step by Step

Step 1: mix the yeast and honey into the water.

Step 2: add the remaining ingredients and do one round of stretches and folds.

Step 3: refrigerate the dough overnight to double in size.

Step 4: do another round of stretches and folds.

Step 5: let the dough rise again at room temperature until doubled in size.

Step 6: tip the risen dough out onto a baking sheet and gently stretch to fill.

Step 7: top with more oil and press your fingers into the dough to create the dimples.

Step 8: bake until golden brown.

Recipe Notes

For the second room temperature rise, the important thing is that the dough doubles in size. This may take more or less time than outlined in the recipe because it depends on the temperature of your home. Look for doubling and don’t worry about the clock.

The dough might rise more than expected in the overnight cold prove, and that’s fine. You’re punching it down and letting it rise again anyway. That being said, make sure the bowl is big enough to allow for it – I have had it overflow out of the bowl and that’s a bit messy.

You don’t need to line the baking sheet with parchment paper for this recipe, but I find it helps a lot with keeping the crust crisp as it’s easier to remove the bread from the sheet while it’s still very hot. Simply lift out and slide from the paper onto the wire rack.

How to Store

Storage: focaccia is best the day it’s baked, but it can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to three days. The crust will soften as it’s stored. (I usually share with friends or family or dedicate myself to eating the entire loaf in one day.)

Freezing: once fully cooled, transfer the bread (whole or in pieces) to an airtight container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and refresh in the oven by reheating with a spritz of water to re-crisp the crust. Be sure to freeze the same day it’s baked to ensure freshness.

Expert Tips

• Cool on a rack: if the bread cools in the baking dish, the humidity causes the crust to soften. This is the opposite of what you want with focaccia, and the best way to avoid it is to transfer the bread to a wire rack immediately after it comes out of the oven.
• Double the dough: use visual cues rather than times when working with yeast dough. The timings provided for proving are guides and will vary (mostly depending on temperature). When the dough has doubled in size, it’s ready, even if it takes longer than you think it should.

More Spelt Bread Recipes

Soft Spelt Rolls
Vegan Star Bread
Garlic Pizza Bread
Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

If you make this Spelt Focaccia recipe or any other ancient grain bread recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.