Chef Klaus
Bauernbrot
The farmhouse loaf that made sense of a weekly oven firing: rye for keeping, wheat for lift, sourdough for the crumb, and a dark crust that earns its crack.
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Dinkelbrot
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The old spelt loaf belongs back on the weekday table: nutty, soft, sliceable, and mixed short because Dinkel gives you flavour quickly and structure reluctantly.
Breads
German
Weeknight
Make Ahead
25 min
Active Time
45 min cook•3 hr 10 min total
Yield1 loaf, about 12 slices
Dinkelbrot is Swabian and Franconian at heart, though now you'll find it in bakeries from the North Sea to the Alps. In the south, spelt has old roots and a good name; in the north, the rye loaf still stands firmer on the table. Im Norden anders, im Süden anders. This one is a weekday loaf, made ahead, sliced for butter, cheese, cold cuts, or a bowl of soup.
The grain is the point and the trouble. Dinkel, spelt, tastes sweet and nutty, but its gluten is softer and less stubborn than wheat gluten. Knead it like a wheat sandwich loaf and you tear the structure you are trying to build. Mix until the dough comes together and turns smooth, then stop. Nicht aus dem Glas, and not from a packet either. Bread has hands in it.
The step that keeps it moist is the Brühstück, a scald of flour and seeds with boiling water. The starch swells and traps water before the dough is mixed, so the finished loaf stays soft without turning slack. Then watch the proof. Spelt looks ready before it is strong, and if you let it rise too far, it falls in the oven and gives you a sad roofline. Das braucht seine Zeit, but not too much of it.
Spelt was grown widely in southwestern Germany through the Middle Ages, especially across Swabia, Franconia, and Baden, because it tolerated poor soils and cold better than many wheats. Hildegard von Bingen praised Dinkel in the 12th century, which helped give the grain its lasting health-food reputation, though the older reason was practical farming, not romance. Baden and Franconia also made Grünkern from unripe spelt dried over heat, a separate larder product that shows how fully the region used the grain.
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Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
whole spelt flour
Quantity
100g
sunflower seeds
Quantity
30g
flaxseed or linseed
Quantity
20g
boiling water
Quantity
200ml
spelt flour Type 1050
Quantity
400g
plus more for dusting
instant yeast or fresh yeast
Quantity
7g instant / 21g fresh
fine salt
Quantity
10g
honey or beet syrup
Quantity
1 tablespoon
lukewarm water
Quantity
150ml
neutral oil or melted butter
Quantity
1 tablespoon
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole spelt flour | 100g |
| sunflower seeds | 30g |
| flaxseed or linseed | 20g |
| boiling water | 200ml |
| spelt flour Type 1050plus more for dusting | 400g |
| instant yeast or fresh yeast | 7g instant / 21g fresh |
| fine salt | 10g |
| honey or beet syrup | 1 tablespoon |
| lukewarm water | 150ml |
| neutral oil or melted butter | 1 tablespoon |
Equipment Needed
- •23x13cm loaf tin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Dough scraper
- •Wire cooling rack
Instructions
- 1
Make the scald
Put the whole spelt flour, sunflower seeds, and flaxseed in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir to a thick paste, cover it, and let it cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. This Brühstück, scald, swells the starch before baking, so the loaf keeps moisture instead of drying out by the second day.
- 2
Mix short
Add the Type 1050 spelt flour, yeast, salt, honey or beet syrup, lukewarm water, oil, and the cooled scald to a bowl. Mix by hand or with a dough hook on low speed for 4 to 5 minutes, only until the dough is smooth, sticky, and pulling together. Stop there. Dinkel gluten tears if you work it too hard, and a torn dough bakes dense.
If the dough looks softer than a wheat dough, leave it alone for ten minutes before adding flour. Spelt drinks water slowly, and extra flour makes a dry loaf before you know it. - 3
Let it rise
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffed by about half, not doubled. A full double rise is too much for spelt; the dough spends its strength before the oven gets a chance.
- 4
Shape the loaf
Lightly flour the bench, tip out the dough, and fold it gently into a tight log. Set it seam-side down in a greased 23x13cm loaf tin. Keep the pressure firm but brief, because you want surface tension, not a kneaded second dough.
- 5
Proof carefully
Cover the tin and proof for 35 to 45 minutes, until the dough rises just to the rim and slowly springs back when pressed with a floured finger. If the dent stays deep, it has gone too far. Spelt overproofs quietly, then collapses loudly in the oven.
- 6
Bake deep brown
Heat the oven to 220C. Slash the top once with a sharp knife, put the loaf in, and bake 10 minutes, then lower to 190C and bake 30 to 35 minutes more. The hot start sets the crust, and the lower finish bakes the centre without drying the thin spelt crumb. The loaf is done when it is deep brown and sounds hollow underneath, or reads 96C in the centre.
- 7
Cool before slicing
Lift the bread from the tin and cool it on a rack for at least 1 hour before cutting. Warm spelt crumb is fragile and smears under the knife; cool it fully and the slices hold clean for butter and Abendbrot, the evening bread table.
Chef Tips
- •Use Dinkelmehl Type 1050 if you can get it. It sits between white and wholemeal flour, so the loaf has flavour without turning heavy.
- •Do not chase a tall, airy wheat loaf. Dinkelbrot should be soft and even-crumbed, with a nutty smell and a firm slice. Schön ist, was schmeckt.
- •A serrated knife matters here. Spelt crumb is tender, and a dull knife crushes what you took three hours to build.
Advance Preparation
- •Make the Brühstück up to 12 hours ahead and keep it covered at room temperature; it must be cool before mixing or it will weaken the yeast.
- •The baked loaf keeps well for 3 days wrapped in a clean cloth, then in a bread box. Slice and freeze what you won't eat by the third day.
- •For morning bread, shape the loaf at night, cover the tin, refrigerate it, and bake straight from cold once the dough has risen close to the rim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 70g)
Calories
185 calories
Total Fat
5 g
Saturated Fat
1 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
4 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
330 mg
Total Carbohydrates
29 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
7 g
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