Memo's Method with Spelt

I made a little detour from my trip with Columbia and thought I would try the method presented by Zolablue as Memo's Brown Bread using Spelt flour in combination with KA AP. I started by deciding to use a 50/50 blend of Spelt/AP flours and all of the ingredients called for in ZB's recreation of her grandmothers recipe. I did make on minor change in that I swapped the Crisco for butter. While putting together dough, it was very sloppy so I started adding more Spelt until it started looking like it might be a medium to slack consistency. I was planning on baking this in a pan so a little slack was ok but I added flour while kneading until it wasn't absolutely sticking to the counter after every time I stopped kneading for 5 seconds. At the very end I added a 1/2 Cup of AP and that was enough. In total I used an additional 2-1/2 cups (2-spelt &1/2 AP) past the formula provided by ZB. I knew from making Memo's with Graham WW that it was going to take quite a bit more additional flour, this time I wanted to document how much.

Here is the list on ingredients

• 1/4 C warm water
• 1 envelope Active Dry Yeast (2-1/4teaspoons)
• 2-1/2 C Potato water luke warm
• 1 Tblsp salt
• 3 Tblsp Sugar
• 1/4 C shortening (butter)
• 2-1/2 C KA AP flour (if I had first clear I would have used it here)
• 2-1/2 C Spelt flour
• Additional 2-1/2 C spelt & AP flour to medium consistency

Method:

• Mix yeast & warm water and set aside
• Peel and thinly slice small potato and boil in 4C water for 15 minutes. Mash potato in water and simmer until potato is mush (5 min)
• Pour hot potato water into bowl with butter, salt & sugar and mix let cool to below 105 F.
• Add yeast mix to water/butter/salt/sugar mix and stir
• Add 1/2 flour to water mixture and stir thin batter. Add remainder flour and beat by hand or machine.
• Add additional 2+ C flour to obtain a workable dough and rest for 1/2 hour or more.
• Fold and knead to develop gluten as necessary adding flour if needed.
• Place in large oiled bow, cover and let rise for 1-1/2 hours until doubled.
• Turn onto board, divide into two and ball up, rest for 10 minutes and then form into pans. Cover & let rise for 1-1/2 hours or proof over loaf pans. I did this in coldish oven with light on and a boiling cup of water in oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove water, slash and turn oven on 350 F for 45 minutes. Rotate at 15 minutes remaining for even baking.
• Remove from pans and cool on rack.

I did this experiment because I am trying to find interesting ways to use Spelt. I have heard that spelt may be a better flour for diabetics and people who have trouble digesting wheat based breads. While this is a 40% AP blend, it is a step in the right direction I believe. The bread is delicious and as you can see will make a very nice sandwich loaf. It is soft and my daughter who knew not of the ingredients said it was a little sweet. I think the 3 T of sugar could be reduced to 2 and it would be fine. I can't say there is a Spelty like nutty after taste that I noticed in my Columbia mix but it is a good bread that I will make again.

Eric