Sunday, July 28, 2013

Is Spelt The Best Whole Grain Flour For Baking?

By Michael Obrien


Flours come in many different varieties and have equally as many uses. The most prominent of them is the white product known as wheat flour. But those who fancy a little bit of a change are finding that spelt flour is perhaps the best whole grain flour for baking. As a lot of folks are not getting enough fiber, whole grains in your bread could be the answer.

If you're new to baking the best piece of advice is to keep things simple. The reason why spelt is such a good choice for the first-time baker is that it has a sweet, mild flavor and is one of the most popular around. Over the years it's been used to make pie crust as well as sandwich bread.

There's nothing new about spelt whatsoever. It has been around in Europe since the Bronze Age, when the folks in Europe would use it of make bread. For those unsure what to look out for when they go to the grocery store, it's worth pointing out that some have said the grain is a reddish color that looks a little like a cross between barley seeds and sunflower.

The taste is something most people remember when they think of spelt. This is because, unlike some whole grains, the taste of the bread it makes is soft, mild and sweet. The one drawback, if it can be called as such, is that it isn't totally free of gluten, though is contains a relatively low amount when compared to other flours.

If one word can be used to describe it then that word would probably be versatile. Muffins, breads and even pie crusts can be made with it. Of course, you may wish to mix it with the normal wheat flour if you want some of the goodness of whole grains and some of the flavor of white bread. If you feel like experimenting, why not try making pie crust with 100% spelt, or, if that's too adventurous, then mix crackers in with the dough.

If you're a veteran of using the product then you could graduate from making bread and turn to other things. A yeast-less pizza is something you could try at home. The dough will probably take far less time to make and cook because of the lack of yeast. You can also make dense and moist cookies, ones which differ a little from the traditional cookie because they tend to hold a puffy shape.

Although whole grains do have gluten, they don't contain as much as white flours. This needs to be considered when using yeast or combining flours of different types. Make sure that at least half the flour you use contains gluten, that's if you use yeast. It's also worth noting that because of the lower gluten content, some bakers prefer to use spelt with other flours.

Although spelt is probably the best whole grain flour for baking, it really depends on what your tastes are and ultimately what you are baking. Soft flours usually have much less gluten, and things like barley, rye and oat actually have none so perhaps this should be considered if you're looking to mix whole grain with a low gluten product.




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