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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Bread - What are you baking today…..

    Hobbies and Pastimes
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    • N
      neversummer
      Raw and Unwashed
      Joined:

      @neph93 What did you think of working with spelt vs wheat?
      @Chap Yours looks great! 
      Here's my 100% spelt recipe.  I couldn't find a whole lot about working exclusively with spelt, it seems like most recipes I could find used it in the minority.  There are a few whole spelt recipes lurking on the 'net, but none of them looked like quite what I was looking for or interested in.  All I could gather was that the gluten is more "delicate" (whatever that means) and the dough should be treated more gently, and a lower hydration should be used, I saw about 3/4 of what you'd use for wheat.  I noticed my spelt vs wheat starter was alot more liquid with the same proportion of ingredients at 100% hydration.  Thus, I did less folding and less vigorously and a much lower hydration than I'd normally do.  Anyway, here is what I did.
      Total:
      900 g white spelt (90%)
      100 g whole spelt (10%)
      666! g water (66.6%)
      20 g salt 
      Levain:
      50 g spelt starter
      50 g white spelt
      50 g whole spelt
      100 g water
      Dough:
      850 g white spelt
      50 g whole spelt
      566 g water
      20 g salt
      Target temp: 78 F.
      I mixed the levain first.  3.5 hours later I mixed the dough, minus salt to autolyze.  1.5 hours later I added the levain and salt to the dough, and mixed primarily by pinching.  After mixed, I did 4 hours of bulk fermentation with 3 folds spaced at 30 minutes in the first 1.5 hours.  After bulk, I divided and let rest on a spelt floured counter for 30 minutes before shaping.  Shaped, and retarded in the fridge overnight. 

      After bulk, nice bubbles and looks like a much higher hydration.

      After overnight retard.
      The next day:
      After preheating at 500 F, I baked for 20 minutes with steam at 500 F, and then 25 additional minutes at 450 F.  First loaf went into the oven at 25.5 hours after I mixed the levain.

      Post bake, flatter than usual but crumb looks fine.
      Results were fine, I think good crumb however it was flatter than my normal loaves.  The mix looked too dry at first, but got a lot wetter looking through bulk.  At the end it looked like my normal wheat loaves at 85%+ hydration.  Shaping was difficult, it was very wet and sticky, and hard to get much tension at all.  I'm not sure if I might have overworked it, or maybe underworked it?
      Tasty, but since organic spelt flour is twice as expensive as wheat (probably ~$2.50-3.00USD/Lb) and there wasn't much difference in the end as far as flavor, I don't know that I'll be trying to improve or experiment with it much.  Photos to come…

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      • neph93N
        neph93
        見習いボス
        Joined:

        @neversummer:

        @neph93 What did you think of working with spelt vs wheat?

        I enjoyed it. The starter took a while to get going and it wasn't quite as badass a spelt loaf as your recipe, there was a solid portion of strong white bread flower in there too. But I found the same thing as with working with other heritage corn types, it starts off a little loose and difficult, but stiffens quickly after the first folding and becomes fun to work with. It was mostly for shits and giggles, but both the process and the result were pleasing. I'll probably do it again.

        «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
        We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

        • Dame Vera Lynn
        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • ROmanR
          ROman
          Haraki san Prodigy
          Joined:

          Made a potato bread today, reduced the flour, boiled a large potato, mashed it, used 3/4 cup of it, used the potato water. Once sliced I will photo it. 

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • GilesG
            Giles
            IHUK Crew
            Joined:

            My Biga did its job overnight…...

            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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            • ChapC
              Chap
              見習いボス
              Joined:

              Thanks @neversummer for sharing your recipe… when I get my Spelt-Starter a bit more lively I will try it...

              God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • Madame ButtonflyM
                Madame Buttonfly
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                @Seul:

                @Giles:

                This thread makes me smile so much….

                This… I'm not contributing but I am absolutely LOAF-ing this thread...

                TAXI!..

                😃  😃  😃

                Me too.

                AKA Mrs G

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                • GilesG
                  Giles
                  IHUK Crew
                  Joined:

                  80% Biga….

                  @jordanscollected I tried to do an IH (with limited success 🙂 🙂 )

                  "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                  • ChapC
                    Chap
                    見習いボス
                    Joined:

                    They look great Giles…

                    The Neversummer Full-Spelt:

                    Small alteration… a Poolish with 100g spelt/water and 0.1g fresh yeast

                    God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • jordanscollectedJ
                      jordanscollected
                      啓蒙家
                      Joined:

                      @Giles Limited edition women's t-shirt!!!!

                      Worked out pretty well and no harm in trying.

                      I added Roasted garlic oil to my last batch and it killed the rise. I obliterated to loaves of sourdough. I've always worked in places with a baking and pastry chef so my expertise isn't in breads and pastries. Add to that my short attention span and dislike for reading and following directions, and well, see the above result of bread. Having another go at it today. However i'm starting with basic flour as I limit my store trips, and have to make a special trip for quality flour (one issue with the U.S. is most people prefer All Purpose flour for flavor and texture.

                      @Giles:

                      80% Biga….

                      @jordanscollected I tried to do an IH (with limited success 🙂 🙂 )

                      world tours:
                      888 Fat guy chocolate WT
                      Mad Red x2
                      Wabidashery

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • ROmanR
                        ROman
                        Haraki san Prodigy
                        Joined:

                        Potato bread came out great. My favorite so far.

                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • organisysO
                          organisys
                          Raw and Unwashed
                          Joined:

                          Great efforts everyone, thread makes me hungry for a sandwich!

                          Pride of Japan :-)

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                          • ChapC
                            Chap
                            見習いボス
                            Joined:

                            After bulk fermentation… promising

                            ...and pancakes with the remains of the starter

                            God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • ChapC
                              Chap
                              見習いボス
                              Joined:

                              …sleep well

                              God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • GilesG
                                Giles
                                IHUK Crew
                                Joined:

                                Eat well…...

                                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • ChrisC
                                  Chris
                                  Raw and Unwashed
                                  Joined:

                                  @Giles:

                                  My Biga did its job overnight…...

                                  I'm so envious of how you can open the double doors out onto the back garden.  That kitchen really is lovely.

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • GilesG
                                    Giles
                                    IHUK Crew
                                    Joined:

                                    😞 😞

                                    "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                                    • ChapC
                                      Chap
                                      見習いボス
                                      Joined:

                                      The Neversummer Fullspelt…

                                      God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • ChapC
                                        Chap
                                        見習いボス
                                        Joined:

                                        Well…  😃 😃 😃

                                        God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

                                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • GilesG
                                          Giles
                                          IHUK Crew
                                          Joined:

                                          Any idea what causes that?

                                          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                                          • ChapC
                                            Chap
                                            見習いボス
                                            Joined:

                                            @Giles:

                                            Any idea what causes that?

                                            I guess I should have incised it 🤷🏼

                                            God has blessed you richly, so get down on your knees and thank him. Don’t forget the less fortunate or God will personally kick your ass. I’d love to do it for him, but I can’t be everywhere. Willie Nelson

                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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