Modifying Devora Heller's reg recipe for Whole Spelt?

Mevater

Fri, Apr 29 2011, 2:18 am

mummy-bh wrote:

Tamar Ansch has one in her challa book.
let me know if you want me to post it here.

Thanks! I think I found it:

http://www.jewishfood-list.com......html

Spelt Challah (Wheat and Egg-Free Challah) (P, TNT)
Source: "A Taste of Challah," by Tamar Ansh
Yield: 6 large or 8 medium-sized loaves
[Archivist's Note: Spelt is a form of wheat.]

65grams/2.4 ounces fresh yeast
820ml/28 oz. warm water
260g/1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
5 lbs./2-1/4 kilos/17 cups spelt flour
35g/1-1/2 tbsp. salt
230ml/1 cup canola oil

Crumble the yeast into the mixing bowl. Add 500ml/2 cups of warm water and 1/4 cup of sugar on top of it. Cover the bowl and let it start to activate for 5-10 minutes.

Add half of the flour, all the salt, and the oil.

Mix and knead with the dough hook until it resembles a thick batter. Let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Knead again while adding in all the rest of the flour. Add the water a bit at a time until you have a smooth and pliable, slightly sticky dough.

Turn the dough out into a large, well-oiled bowl. Cover the dough with a sheet of plastic and then a large towel and allow it to rise for 40 minutes.

If you will not have time to shape and bake right away, place the dough, covered well with plastic, in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Important note: Spelt dough rises a bit differently than wheat dough. It is lighter, and therefore should not be left to rise as long as wheat dough.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C while you are shaping the loaves. Add a tray of water to the bottom rack of the oven to add moisture during the baking process, since you won't be using an egg glaze.

Punch down the dough and start to shape the loaves. When rolling out the strands, let them rest for only 2 minutes before rolling out and braiding them. Shape and allow the challahs to rise for 35 minutes. Do not let the dough rise too much or the bread/challah will fall flat when it is baked.

Spray the challahs with a thin film of clear water and sprinkle on seeds of your choice, if desired.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until dark golden brown on top. Place on a wire rack to cool. Freeze until use.

Poster's Notes:
Here it is, very very good. We aren't wheat-sensitive but I make it anyhow, it's so good.

Spelt rises differently than wheat flours. Once I learned that, then it came out amazing.

Spelt flour is a very nice alternative for those who are wheat-sensitive. It is healthy and quite tasty, so it can be enjoyed by just about anyone. Spelt flour can also be purchased as whole grain spelt flour--which is darker, or as white spelt flour--which is lighter.

Posted by Tamar Ansh

EvenI

Fri, Apr 29 2011, 4:58 am

I make spelt challa all the time. I think you can probably use any challa recipe as long as you knead for no more than about five minutes and leave to rise for much less time than wheat. Those are the main things. However, since the flavor of spelt is different, it's good to use a recipe designed to make the most of the flavor. I feel it's best without anything to sweeten it. This is my recipe:

1 kg spelt flour
90 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp active dry yeast
3 cups warm water

What I find is tricky is if you don't have room in your oven at one time for the number of challas that you are making, because if you leave one batch of challa out while another batch is baking, the second batch may collapse from too much rising time. So, what I do is either I only use this amount (1 kg flour) and get it all into the oven at once by using loaf tins that sit side by side, or I add bread improver, which has extra gluten, so that I can make more and it will not be as delicate. However, I prefer the flavor and texture when you don't add bread improver/gluten. It's light and delicate and delicious.

Mevater

Fri, Apr 29 2011, 8:56 am

EvenI wrote:

Mevater wrote:

mummy-bh wrote:

that's the one! it's very good and not as difficult as it seems. I've made it in the past when we've had guests who don't eat wheat.

I see the recipe doesnt have eggs and I like my Challah fluffy/eggy though.

That's interesting. I find that eggs bind bread so much that they make it more dense. Are you sure they should make it fluffy?

All I know is that a Korn's Bakery Egg Challah is a lot fluffier and lighter than a Korn's Bakery Water Challah.

Mevater

Fri, May 17 2019, 11:34 am

Mevater wrote:

Years later.

Does anyone use this recipe (I might have tried it, but forgot if I liked it) , or have a no-fail fluffy Whole Spelt Challah recipe?