Rye and Spelt Seed Bread

An oval loaf of bread with two slices cut.

A free-form multigrain loaf with no bread tin or dutch oven needed, this rye and spelt seed bread is a great beginner's recipe for those interested in baking with spelt.

Course Bread, Pantry Recipes

Cuisine European, German

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Rising Time 1 30

Total Time 2 20

Servings

Calories 260kcal

Author Alexandra Daum

Ingredients

50 ml (1.8 oz.) warm water
1 tablespoon honey
7 grams (2 ¼ teaspoons) traditional dry yeast or ½ cube fresh, 21 grams
250 ml (8.8 oz.) water at room temperature
300 grams (10.6 oz.) spelt flour
100 grams (3.5 oz.) rye flour
100 grams (3.5 oz.) oats rolled or quick-cook
100 grams (3.5 oz.) raw sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt

Metric - Cups

Instructions

Add the 50 ml of warm water to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the honey then sprinkle the yeast over top. Set aside to bloom for about 10 minutes. The yeast should bubble after a few minutes.
50 ml (1.8 oz.) warm water, 1 tablespoon honey, 7 grams (2 ¼ teaspoons) traditional dry yeast
Once the yeast has bloomed, add the other 250 ml (8.8 oz.) of water and whisk to combine. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the spelt flour, rye flour, oats, seeds, and salt.
250 ml (8.8 oz.) water, 300 grams (10.6 oz.) spelt flour, 100 grams (3.5 oz.) rye flour, 100 grams (3.5 oz.) oats, 100 grams (3.5 oz.) raw sunflower seeds, 1 teaspoon sea salt
Set the dough aside to hydrate for ten minutes, then knead with an electric mixer for 5-6 minutes, or until elastic (it won't become smooth but should be a bit less sticky). You can knead by hand with the method seen in this video.
Once kneaded, rinse your hands and use wet hands to form the dough into a rough ball in the bowl. Set aside to rise, covered, until doubled in size, about an hour. I cover with a tea towel and large plate.
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Shape it into a log about 25cm (10 in.) long (this isn't terribly important) and place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Set aside to rise again, covered with a tea towel, for 20-30 minutes or until puffy and increased in size by about a third.
While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Once risen, bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. It will spread a bit when baking, that's normal.
Cool fully on a wire rack before slicing and serving. This bread will keep for a couple of days at room temperature and should be stored in a sealed container. It freezes well.

Video

Notes

Warm water should be just warm to the touch (test with a fingertip). Too hot and it will kill the yeast, so err to the side of too cool.

I haven't included cup measurements for this recipe because it causes too great a margin of error.

Nutrition