Breads (Yeast) - Loaves

Spelt Wholemeal Bread

December 26, 2018 | Recipe by Bake with Paws
Spelt Wholemeal Bread

Spelt Wholemeal Bread

Spelt Wholemeal Bread


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I wanted to use up the wholemeal and spelt flour that I had, so I mixed them together to make a Spelt Wholemeal Bread.  This time I used a straight dough method. Surprisingly the bread turned out very soft and moist.  It stayed moist even after 2 days.  

Baking bread is usually a process that takes about 3 to 4 hours and you can't usually leave the house. One way,  if you do need to go out and run some errands, is to leave the bread dough in fridge for final proofing after shaping.  After few hours upon your return, just remove out the bread dough from the fridge and bake straight away if it is already risen and doubled in size.  Otherwise, just leave it out for about 30 mins or more until double in size.  I left this bread in the fridge for final proofing as I was having a busy day.  After 3 hours, I removed it from the fridge and waited until it doubled in size before baking.

I have another Wholemeal Bread recipe that you may like to try too.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe or any other post, please leave me a comment in the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link and I will reply you as soon as possible.  Do tag me on Instagram @Bakewithpaws if you attempt on this recipe.

How To Make Spelt Wholemeal Bread 


Yields: 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS

Bread Dough:
270g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)
170g spelt flour
100g wholemeal flour
2 tsp instant yeast
3 tbsp (30g) brown Sugar
1 ½ tsp Salt
20g butter
20g corn oil or olive oil
200g full cream milk
100g water

Utensil:  
Loaf pan (8" X 3" X 3") - 2 units


METHOD:
  1. Kneading:
    1. Put all ingredients (except butter and oil) into the bowl of stand mixer. Using the dough hook, knead for 5 minutes (Chef Kenwood mixer, speed 2.5) until the dough comes together. 
    2. Add in butter and continue kneading for another 10 - 12 minutes until the dough comes together, become elastic and reaches window pane stage.  If the dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time. Some bread flour absorbs more water.
  2. 1st Proofing:
    1. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 60 minutes or until double in size in a large greased bowl, covered with cling film or kitchen towel.
  3. Shaping:
    1. Punch down the dough to release the air. 
    2. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 4 equal portions.  Please use a kitchen scale if you want to be exact.  
    3. Form each portion to a strand/long log. Roll out each dough with a rolling pin into long rectangle shape. Roll up the dough like Swiss Roll until a small log is formed.  
    4. Place all dough in the prepared loaf pans.
  4. Final Proofing:
    1. Let the dough rise in a warm place for another 50 - 60 minutes until increase double in size.
  5. Baking:
    1. Preheat oven at 190 C (top and bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for about 15 minutes. 
    2. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
    3. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing.

GENERAL NOTES:

GLUTEN DEVELOPMENT & WINDOWPANE TEST
Gluten forms when flour comes in contact with water.  Hydration of the flour causes the sticky and stretchy protein to form, giving structure to the bread.  This makes your bread trap air and rise. 

Gluten in dough can be developed by autolyse, resting, kneading or folding.

The windowpane test is used to determine whether the dough has been sufficiently kneaded.  By gently pulling the dough (or you may pinch off some dough) and trying to stretch it into a thin membrane.  If you are able to stretch the dough paper thin and translucent  without tearing, then the gluten is fully developed.  However, if you can stretch it without tearing but the membrane is not transparent, then the gluten is not yet fully developed.  

However, from my experience not all the recipe can achieve a thin and translucent window pane stage easily.   For example low hydration and low fat dough.  For such recipes, a reasonable window pane is good enough and it can be left to rest. Gluten will continue to develop while resting.  Exercising restraint to not over-knead the dough prevents the gluten from being overworked and broken.   Some of you may have experienced the dough breaking during the second proofing.  It is because the dough is over kneaded. 

The total kneading time for me is usually 15 minutes at low speeds except brioche dough with high fat percentage or dough using liquid fat which usually takes a little longer (maybe 18-20 mins).

From my experience, I found that high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.


KNEADING TIME
For kneading, please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide.  Timing may differ depending on the brand of flour and electric mixer used. The protein content may vary from one brand of flour to another.

FLOUR
The right flour plays a very important role in bread making.   To achieve fluffy, soft and light bread, I used Japan High Gluten Flour in most of my bread baking.  The protein content is around  12 - 13%.

HYDRATION
The liquid measurement given is also a guide.  It is advisable to always reserve some liquid and not add it all in one go.  This would give you the opportunity to adjust if necessary. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.  This is because each flour absorbs water and hydrates differently. 

PROOFING
Please note that the proofing timing may also vary depending on your climate and environment. The humidity and temperature at your place will influence how dough rises.  
If you are unable to judge by just looking at the dough, you can do the finger poke test:
  1. First Proofing:
    • Lightly flour or oil your finger or knuckle, gently poke in the centre of the dough then remove your finger.  If it bounces back immediately without any indentation then it needs more time.
    • If the indentation stays and it doesn’t bounce back or if the dough collapses, then the it is over proved.  
    • If it bounces back just a little, then the dough is ready to be punched down and shaping.
  2. Second Proofing:
    • Lightly press the side of the proved dough with your finger.  If it bounces back immediately without any indentation, it means the dough is under proved and needs more time before baking.
    • If the indentation stays and it doesn’t bounce back, it means it has been over proved.
    • If the indentation slowly bounces back and leave a small indentation, it is ready to bake. 
    • There will be a final burst of rising once the bread is placed to bake in the oven and it is called oven spring. 
WRINKLE TOP OR SHRINKING
If your bread collapses or gets wrinkled on top after removing from oven, it could be because your dough over proved during the second proofing. Please proof until it rises 80 - 90% in size or is slightly below the rim of the pan.

BAKING TEMPERATURE & TIME
Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.

Comments

  1. May i know what is this flour spelt 170gm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Annie,

      Thank you for your question. Spelt is a cereal grain in the wheat family, but it is not the same thing as wheat. You can refer for more details at the below link:
      http://bakingbites.com/2008/04/what-is-spelt-flour/

      You can get it from House of Ingredients or Bake with Yen in Kuala Lumpur or off the Supermarket shelf.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
  2. Hi, thanks for all your recipes! I've made several and they've all been great. I usually only make dough for one loaf since I just have one tin. This time I made the full recipe, and I'm wondering if it's better to retard the dough for second loaf before or after bulk rise? Also, how long is a straight dough ok to stay in the fridge before baking? Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, thanks for trying my other recipes. You can retard one portion in the fridge immediately after kneading and before bulk fermentation. Keep in the fridge up to 12 hours should be ok I think. To be honest I haven't try retard in the fridge for instant yeast bread. The next day or after 12 hours, take out the dough, shape and do the final rise.

      Cheers and happy baking :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks for getting back to me. I kept the dough in the fridgefor about twelve hours, took it out the next morning and left it to rise on the counter for about five hours until doubled. I'm in Canada and our place is cool (about 19 C) so it took a while. Then I shaped and final rise and baked. It turned out just the same as the one I baked yesterday--soft, moist and totally delicious! This recpe disn't rise as high as tje Japanese sourdough shokupan I usually make, but the spelt gives it a really nice flavour. I think I might try the sourdough version of this one next--thanks again, my family loves all your recipes.

      Delete
    3. You are most welcome, Kevin. Glad to hear that your family like it. Bread baking is fun. Once you understand how it works, you can play around with the recipe. Hope to hear from you on your sourdough version.

      By the way, you can speed up the proofing by letting it proof in oven (off) and with a bowl of hot water inside.

      Happy baking and stay safe :)

      Delete
  3. Hi, I want to know am I to leave out just the butter or the oil and the butter during the first kneading?

    Thank you,
    HL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Sorry for confusion. Sorry, I missed out oil. It should be (except butter and oil) for first kneading.

      Cheers:)

      Delete
    2. Thank you!

      Delete
  4. Hi, tks for the recipe. I tried baking yesterday using half recipe. The proofing went well and I used the 450g pullman tin. Then baked when the dough raised to about 70-80% height. But funny thing was the dough stopped rising during the baking process! Lol

    The taste is still gd and we made sandwiches with it but just puzzling when it didn't rise in the oven. Do you know why?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, thanks for trying this recipe. Hmm!! It could the flour use? Over or not enough kneading? Oven temperature is not hot enough to cause the bread has oven spring? Did you knead until achieve window pane stage? Do not knead to be very thin. Reasonable window pane stage will do.

      Cheers :)

      Delete
    2. I think the bread dough is too little for 450g loaf pan since you have cut into half of the recipe. It probably the bread already rose to 100% but because was in big pan it looks like 70% only.

      Delete
    3. Tks for replying. Yes, I suspect could be the half recipe issue in big pan. Was using usual 180-190dc to bake. Window pane quite ok. I will try again next time with smaller pan :)

      Tks

      Delete
    4. You are most welcome. Maybe try to reduce the recipe to 60% instead of 50%. Thanks

      Delete

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