I made this with whole grain sprouted spelt flour today and it turned out quite well. I dropped the honey because I think sprouted wheat has more fermentation off the bat and it wouldn’t be needed… I also went with a smaller loaf. I think the ratios are similar, though, because I added more water to compensate for no honey.
It’s a gift but it smells so good I’m going to bake myself one soon.
Looks wonderful!
Leah
Thanks, Leah!
Wow, this is delicious! Thank you Eric for this recipe and your excellent tutorial. I can’t believe my loaf turned out as well as it did. Had a bit of a mishap when moving the loaf from the banneton into my oblong Breadtopia clay baker. Usually I use parchment, this time I attempted to live on the edge, and the proofed loaf landed on its side and crooked. I scored it anyway, and happily the loaf straightened out and puffed right up. Turned into a surprisingly pretty loaf.
I’m surprised by the somewhat open crumb. So happy to have found another great recipe for a 100% whole grain loaf – I’ll be making it a lot, I’m sure. Has a lovely sourdough tang.
Details: made the dough using 2 T of agave, rested it an hour and then did four stretch and folds spaced 20 minutes apart. After that the dough bulk fermented on the counter (cool winter temps) for about 10 hours. Proofed 1 hr 25 mins (partly in a 100 degree oven), then baked at 450 for 42 minutes (Lid on 30 mins, lid off another 12, and when I pulled it out the internal temp was already at 210). Had to run errands so didn’t cut into it until about 4 hours after it came out of the oven. It’s perfect.
BTW I used Bob’s Red Mill organic whole spelt flour. I haven’t yet invested in a home mill/grinder but I think that will happen, hopefully soon.
Made this for the third time yesterday. I have baked this whole spelt loaf each of the last three weekends. Each time it’s been fantastic, though this is my best loaf of the three. I never knew I liked spelt, and so far this is probably my favorite among the many breads I’ve made – which is great given that it’s also among the most nutritious.
The dough was not as wet as the previous two times I made this bread, and it doesn’t have the same open crumb. But no complaints here – it’s delicious.
I have been baking sourdough for about 4 years with mixed success. I recently wanted to make a whole grain bread that was lighter than a brick. I tried this recipe yesterday
I could not be more pleased except that the loaf did not eject from my romertopf. It burned around the bottom edges. I can work on that. I used a mixture of spelt and white flour starter. BTW, I got my dough whisk and romertopf from breadtopia a few years ago.I made this recipe for my first wholegrain sourdough loaf. It came out great, and even my husband who doesn’t love wholegrain breads said it was very good. Thanks so much, Eric, for this recipe. I feel much more confident now, and I am ready to tackle some other wholegrain recipes.
Love to hear it. 
Hi
I used the Spelt & Khorasan for my first ever bake, using a fairly new khorasan starter. I had a little sticking to the banneton & baked on cast iron pizza slab so lost a bit of height, but regardless I’m really happy and it tastes fantastic!
That looks fantastic. Good job, baker! Good job, starter! (For someone not following your starter adventures, my enthusiasm probably seems weird haha.)
I’m curious how long the bulk fermentation ended up being.
Thanks very much! I followed the 4 stretch and folds at 30 min intervals, then gave it another 3 and a half hours. I then deviated and shaped lightly before popping in a banneton and refrigerating overnight. It then baked from cold at 8am for 45 mins at 230c on a cast iron pizza slab 
Interesting … so not tons of time needed for the bulk. And your starter was still not doubling?
It was an inherited wheat / spelt starter that wasn’t doubling. The khorasan starter I made myself is what I used for this bake, that doubles fine
Glad to hear you got your own starter going. Congrats!
Thanks. The khorasan was thriving almost straight away, very easy to get going by comparison
Wow! Thats some great crumb. Did you cook in a clay baker?
Did you follow the stretch & fold and then refrigerate? I swapped and did the bulk ferment at room temp, and the proove overnight in the fridge, but i’m keen to know how much the bulk ferment in the fridge can be varied.
Dave - I baked this in a Breadtopia oblong clay baker. I bulked at room temp and then proofed it in the fridge. I followed Eric’s recipe pretty closely, using a mix of Bob’s Red Mill spelt flour and One Degree organic whole spelt flour (it’s what I had), and 2 T agave for the sweetener. I did four stretch and folds that were not evenly spaced; I did one after an hour’s rest, another at 20 minutes, then got engrossed in something and 40 minutes went by, then at 30 minutes. I probably added extra water while doing the S&Fs.
I made the dough around 8:00 pm and bulked overnight on the counter. The dough took about 13 hours before it was ready to pre-shape, shape and proof. Proofed in a banneton, and after about 15 minutes I put it into the fridge, as I had to go out. Took it out again after about 6 hours, preheated the oven, then baked covered for 30 minutes at 475 and uncovered for 12 minutes. So the refrigerator portion was not terribly long. I think this is one of my best loafs yet, in terms of crumb, crust, oven spring and taste.
Thanks Susan.
I’m curious how people are managing a bulk ferment overnight, when my dough seems ready after approximately 6 hours. Perhaps I’m using too much starter, my kitchen temperature is around 21 degrees daytime, I’d guess around 19 degrees of an evening.
(Apologies for the late reply, was on vacation)
You can try using cold water or less starter if you want an overnight bulk fermentation. In the summer months, my house is a bit too warm for overnight as well.
