I am at the point in my bread making where I want to replace one grain in a recipe for another. This is particularly true of replacing whole wheat with whole spelt. The two flours do not hydrate the same (to those in the know, I suspect this is obvious, but I am new to trading grains!). Is there a guide or some source that would give guidance as to how much water a given grain needs for a given consistency (or some other hydration guide)? Are there certain rules of thumb to follow? I really much prefer the flavor of whole spelt to that of whole wheat, but have many more whole wheat recipes. Thanks for your help.
I've found this super helpful in using spelt -
http://bake-with-spelt.com/PDF/Baking_with_Spelt_Tips_and_Recipes.pdf
Make sure to see not only the hydration differences but also the tips about difference in number and length of rises when making bread with spelt.
would be to hold back on the water to see how the dough mixes and add as needed, then write down the changes on the recipe.
I just do what Mini Oven suggests; but you also want to consider gluten amount and quality, and stickiness of course.