Baking bread with spelt flour, without using a bread pan
I ran out of "normal" wheat flour a few days ago, so I had to bake my bread with the closest thing - spelt flour.
I noticed the dough was a lot stickier than when using wheat flour, and when baked, the bread came out flat (like a thick pancake). The taste was fine, but because it was so flattened out, there was a lot more crust than usual (and the children don't like crust).
I usually bake my bread directly on the baking plate, not using any bread pan, and for wheat flour, that works fine. Do I need a bread pan to prevent the bread from running out, or is there something else I can do?
Best Answer
Although similar, spelt has more protein and less starch than wheat flour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat#Nutrition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelt#Nutrition
This means that it will create a great structure but won't absorb as much liquid. This would result in exactly what you saw- it was sticky from water and protein and too loose to hold its shape but baked with a good crust.
The recipes I have seen use a mixture of flours that includes spelt.
Try adding less water.
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Can you bake bread without a bread pan?
Many bread recipes don't require any special pan. Rolls, boules (that's a round loaf of bread), braided loaves and many soda breads are baked right on a sheet pan\u2014no loaf pan required. If you want to bake bread on a cookie sheet, look for breads that retain their shape (you don't want overly soft doughs here).Why does my spelt bread not rise?
1) You must use the correct amount of water. It will not rise properly because the water never fully gets into the protein and there is nothing to hold the loaf up. Also, the dense loaf is too tight to allow the yeast gases to expand the loaf. 2) You must also mix it just right.Is spelt flour good for making bread?
Spelt flour is a versatile baking ingredient that is actually quite light and airy, lending a compelling nutty flavor and light sweetness to baked goods. You can use spelt flour in a variety of food including cakes, breads, muffins, scones, and even chocolate chip cookies and waffles.More answers regarding baking bread with spelt flour, without using a bread pan
Answer 2
Try baking it in a pot with a lid inside the oven ie a Dutch oven, casserole dish or whatever.
Although this does give you a much better crust - I can only suggest changing the children.
Answer 3
I've tried baking bread with 100% spelt (no wheat) flour a few times and it was really hard to get something not too flat, which was still pretty dense. Even using a bread pan the result is denser than the typical French white bread, but fine. I haven't tried it yet, but this recipe looks good (in the photo :)
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