Spelt

[dinahsmum]

.........................well, this was a new one on me at the farmers' market yesterday!
Anyone familiar with spelt flour and therefore spelt loaves? It's an ancient grain apparently, older than wheat, and seems to be much better tolerated by gluten-allergic people (not that I am). I think Yola may not tolerate gluten and wondered if she had tried it?
Anyway, bought a loaf and tried it. It's very dense/heavy but very satisfying and it has a very nice nutty flavour.
See - you're never too old to learn and you know what they say - try everything once (except incest and morris dancing )

[Fran]

Originally Posted by dinahsmum

try everything once (except incest and morris dancing )

My first husband was a Morris dancer When we got married all the dancers did their guard of honour with their sticks for us to walk under as we left church

[dinahsmum]

Originally Posted by Fran

My first husband was a Morris dancer When we got married all the dancers did their guard of honour with their sticks for us to walk under as we left church

and did they flick their hankies at you too Fran?

[Fran]

Originally Posted by dinahsmum

and did they flick their hankies at you too Fran?

Oh yes they had their hankies too Actually, it worked out very well. We got married in march, it was freezing cold and snowing You know how photo sessions can be terribly boring after weddings...they danced and kept everyone entertained whilst the photos were taking place

[dinahsmum]

That's a really good idea isn't it - entertainment during the photos?

(not a lot to do with spelt bread though )

[Fran]

I was just going to say DM...I have never heard of spelt bread?? Have you done any googling to find anything out about it?

[dinahsmum]

The lady on the stall we bought it said it's an ancient grain - thnk she said either pre-dates the Romans or brought here by the Romans.......the Alzheimers kicked in and I can't remember which - still grown on a few organic etc farms. It grows about 5ft tall, so can't be harvested with a combine

There we are - that's today's lesson!

[dinahsmum]

Here you go - all you ever wanted to know and probably a lot you didn't!

Grain and Flour - Organic Spelt (A Gourmet Grain)

Spelt is the forerunner of modern wheat with a unique nutty wheaty flavour. Think of the taste difference between a bland Golden Delicious Apple and a tasty Russet Apple. Then imagine an equivalent difference in flour and you will want to sample the intense wheaty flavour of Spelt.
Reference to Spelt can be traced back over many centuries even though it is not a familiar food to modern cooks. Try using it in any recipe calling for wholemeal flour and enjoy the great flavour of this ancient wheat variety.
Spelt contains more protein, fat and fibre than wheat. It also contains special carbohydrates called mucopolysaccharides, which play a decisive role in stimulating the body’s immune system, helping to increase its resistance to infection. Due to Spelt’s high water solubility the grain’s vital substances can, like liquid nutrients, be absorbed quickly by the body.
Many have commented that foods made from spelt have a superior ability to satisfy hunger.
Spelt and Special Diets
There is much interest in the suitability of Spelt in various allergy diets. From the ancient medicinal healing texts of St. Hildegard to modern American studies, the special nutritional properties of Spelt have been considered beneficial. This is because the easy digestability of Spelt means that its natural nutritional elements vital to body maintenance are quickly released.
It is high in gluten but can be tolerated by some gluten intolerant individuals. Allergy sufferers should introduce Spelt gradually into their diets under medical or dietetic supervision.
A Grain From The Past
There is documentary evidence that spelt was cultivated by several ancient civilizations both in Europe and Asia, following its early origins in the fertile Middle East. This means that the unique characteristics and special qualities of spelt were highly valued and traders carried the sought after spelt grain to communities far and wide. Preserved grains have been found throughout Europe, including Britain, in many stone age excavations.
Spelt is mentioned in the book of Ezekiel in the old Testament. It was a major cereal crop for the Roman Empire and several recipes referring to spelt were written by the Roman epicurian, Apicius. In the 12th century the abbess Hildegard of Bingen wrote about the restorative qualities of spelt in her Causa Medica and Gerards Herbal, written in 1597, also refers to Spelt.
The exact history and origins of the grain itself are complex and confused. As there are no records of spelt being found naturally in the wild, its origins lie in early agricultural practices involving the intentional cross pollination of grasses by the earliest farmers. The parentage of spelt is attributed to a cross pollination between emmer wheat (latin name; triticum dicoccoides) and goat grass (aegilips squarrosa).
Spelt grain (latin name; triticum spelta) comes from the same genus as common wheat (triticum aestivum). It is a hexaploid wheat with 42 chromosomes and several distinctive physical & nutritional characteritics, that differentiate it from the common wheat grown today.
These unique characteristics were key to the popularity of spelt, which was widespread until the industrial revolution. Developments in agricultural methods, engineering, and animal husbandry led to the widespread preference for common wheat which was easy to thrash & the fall from popularity of spelt.
Gluten Content
Spelt is an excellent breadmaking flour, with good quality gluten, and an intense flavour. It is particularly suited to quick breads which are characterised by a firm crust and crumb structure that is open yet dense.
The gluten of spelt flour is of a different type to the gluten found in ordinary wheat flour. Spelt gluten imparts its own distinctive characteristics during breadmaking and has a unique amino acid protein profile.

Baking With Spelt Flour
Yeasted spelt bread doughs will rise, ripen and mature more quickly than ordinary doughs. This means spelt is especially good for quick and single rise breads as well as with double rise bread baking methods.
When adapting your favourite yeasted recipes for use with spelt flour you will need to reduce the proving times to prevent over ripening, which can cause the dough to collapse or produce a flying crust in baked bread. If for example the dough has doubled in size after 20 minutes rather than the 30 stated in a recipe, proceed to the next stage without delay. Bake as normal.
Treat Spelt flour as a wholemeal flour in your baking.
In Bread Machines
The timing programmes on bread machines have been carefully devised for use with conventional wheat flours. As the prooving time for spelt flour is much shorter than that for ordinary flour, bread made exclusively with spelt flour will rise and collapse before the machine’s baking cycle has completed.
However you can still enjoy spelt in your bread machine by blending it half and half with strong white bread flour. Alternatively run the dough programme, then place the dough on a baking tray, allow to rise and bake in a conventional oven.
Unique Characteristics
During cultivation the spelt plant has a strong resemblance to wheat, often grows vigorously, and takes on a burnished gold colour when ripening. Its widespread popularity indicates that spelt was adapted for growing in a wide variety of different soils and climates. The crop produces a long straight and robust straw which would have been very useful for thatching.
When harvested the ears of spelt break into many spikelets with an inedible chaff encasing between one and three grains. The modern combine harvester is unable to remove spelt chaff in its thrashing drum, so it harvests and delivers the whole spelt spikelets to the store or mill.
The inedible chaff that encase the grain are thought to offer the growing plant extra protection from disease and weather spoilage as well as making it less palatable to wild and grazing animals. The chaff encases and protects the grain from animal and storage pest damage between growing seasons, and also during storage before consumption. This also shrouds the seed making it less attractive to insects and animals during the crucial stages between planting, germination, and establishment of the crop.
Preparing The Grain
As simple threshing does not dislodge the grain from the inedible chaff, other strategies have been used over the centuries to prepare the grain for consumption. Historically this was done by vigorous rubbing and partly crushing the grain between pieces of stone. This action releases the grain, but can also partly break up the grain into a kind of meal. This would have been very desirable to ancient civilizations who could safely store the grain until required, then prepare it in one process by crushing. The inedible chaff would release the grains as it was crushed and ground, producing a very coarse flour ready for cooking. The unwanted chaff could easily be sieved out or blown away when the crushing process was finished.
Today mechanical removal at the mill ensures the inedible chaff is removed without damaging the spelt grain. When finally released from the chaff, spelt looks very similar to, if a little longer than, common wheat.

[Naomi]

Sounds nice. Might see if I can find it in Tesco's or somewhere

[yola]

I can eat gluten - it's hubby that can't; but I notice below spelt is gluten-rich . . . I've had spelt once or twice before but I didn't really rock my boat as I found it too heavy (and this is from someone who loves ryebread)!!