Rye, Spelt and Other Grains
Cooking Skills: Bread 2
Chapter 7 · Rye, Spelt and Other Grains
Skill goal
Bake with flours that have less gluten: mix them with wheat, handle them gently and know their limits.
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The basics
Wheat is the baker's friend because of its gluten. Other grains bring flavour, colour and nutrition but have little or no gluten, so they behave differently. The usual approach is to mix them with strong wheat flour or to use quick breads that don't depend on gluten at all.
The grains
| Grain | What to expect | How to handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Rye | Dark, earthy, a little sour; little gluten; sticky dough | Use 20 to 40% with strong white flour; wet hands; bake until well done and cool fully before slicing |
| Spelt | Nutty and mild; weaker gluten, breaks down easily | Knead briefly; prove less; wet dough absorbs water slowly so rest it |
| Oats | Soft, sweet, moist crumb; no gluten | Soak first, cool, and mix with wheat flour |
| Cornmeal | Sweet, gritty, golden; no gluten | Use for quick breads with baking powder, or add a little to wheat dough |
| Wholemeal wheat | Nutty, denser; bran cuts the gluten | Add more water; allow a longer rest; mix with white flour |
Working with low-gluten flours
- Mix with strong wheat flour while you are learning.
- Add more water, but be careful: rye and wholemeal absorb more water; spelt absorbs it more slowly, so rest the dough.
- Knead gently: spelt tears easily; rye doesn't develop much gluten at all.
- Prove less: low-gluten doughs collapse sooner than wheat.
- Cool before cutting: rye crumb is gummy until fully cooled, which can take several hours.
Gluten and allergens
Rye, spelt and oats are not gluten-free. Rye and spelt contain gluten, and oats are often contaminated with it, so none of these breads suit people with coeliac disease. Cornmeal (maize) is naturally gluten-free, but the cornbread here also uses wheat flour.Sticky dough: rye dough is sticky and doesn't pass the windowpane test, so don't keep adding flour. Wet your hands and use a scraper instead.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Rye and caraway loaf (30% rye)
A beginner rye bread: 30% rye mixed with strong white flour, so you get the rye flavour and a sound structure. Caraway is the classic partner.
Ingredients (12 portions)
- 350 g strong white bread flour
- 150 g wholemeal rye flour
- 1 sachet (7 g) sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g fine salt
- 2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp honey or black treacle
- 350 ml lukewarm water
- Mix both flours, the yeast, salt and caraway. Add the honey and water and mix to a sticky dough. It will be wetter and stickier than a wheat dough.
- Knead for about 8 minutes with wet hands (don't add more flour), until it is smooth enough to hold together.
- Prove for about 1 hour. Shape into a round or oval, place on a lined tray, cover and prove for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Bake at 220°C (200°C fan) for 15 minutes, then reduce to 200°C (180°C fan) for another 20 to 25 minutes. It should sound hollow underneath. Cool completely (at least 1 hour) before slicing: rye needs time to set.
Sticky rye dough and gluten
Sticky dough: rye dough is sticky and doesn't pass the windowpane test, so don't keep adding flour. Wet your hands and use a scraper instead.Rye, spelt and oats are not gluten-free. Rye and spelt contain gluten, and oats are often contaminated with it, so none of these breads suit people with coeliac disease. Cornmeal (maize) is naturally gluten-free, but the cornbread here also uses wheat flour.
Level 2 · Gentle
A spelt loaf
Spelt is an ancient wheat with a nutty, slightly sweet flavour. Its gluten is weaker and breaks down easily, so knead briefly and don't over-prove.
Ingredients (12 portions)
- 500 g white spelt flour (or half wholemeal spelt and half white spelt)
- 1 sachet (7 g) sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g fine salt
- 320 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Mix the flour, yeast, salt, water and oil to a soft dough. Knead for only 5 to 6 minutes, until just smooth: longer breaks the gluten.
- Prove for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until about doubled (spelt rises quickly and collapses if left).
- Shape into a loaf and place in an oiled 900 g tin. Prove for 30 minutes, until just above the rim.
- Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and hollow underneath. Cool on a rack.
Gluten and flour
Rye, spelt and oats are not gluten-free. Rye and spelt contain gluten, and oats are often contaminated with it, so none of these breads suit people with coeliac disease. Cornmeal (maize) is naturally gluten-free, but the cornbread here also uses wheat flour.Raw flour: flour is a raw ingredient and can carry bacteria such as E. coli, which are killed only by baking or cooking. Don't taste raw dough, don't let children eat or play with it, and wash your hands, bowls and surfaces after handling flour and dough.
Level 2 · Soaked grain
Oat and honey loaf
Soaked oats make the crumb moist and slightly sweet and keep it fresh for longer. Cool the oats first so they don't kill the yeast.
Ingredients (12 portions)
- 400 g strong white bread flour
- 100 g strong wholemeal bread flour
- 60 g porridge oats, plus extra for the top
- 150 ml boiling water, for soaking the oats
- 1 sachet (7 g) sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 10 g fine salt
- 2 tbsp honey
- 200 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp milk for brushing
- Pour the boiling water over the oats and leave for about 30 minutes until cool and thick.
- Mix both flours, the yeast and salt. Add the soaked oats, honey and lukewarm water and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Prove for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Shape into a loaf, place in an oiled 900 g tin, brush with milk and sprinkle with oats. Prove for 45 minutes.
- Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 40 minutes, covering with foil if the top browns fast. Cool on a rack.
Oats and gluten
Soaked oats: cool the oats to lukewarm before mixing them in, because hot oats would kill the yeast. Keep soaked oats covered and use the same day.Rye, spelt and oats are not gluten-free. Rye and spelt contain gluten, and oats are often contaminated with it, so none of these breads suit people with coeliac disease. Cornmeal (maize) is naturally gluten-free, but the cornbread here also uses wheat flour.
Level 2 · Quick bread
Cornbread
Cornbread has no yeast and no kneading: mix, pour and bake. Cornmeal has no gluten, so the structure comes from the wheat flour, eggs and baking powder.
Ingredients (9 portions)
- 150 g fine cornmeal (or polenta flour)
- 150 g plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 Lion-marked eggs
- 300 ml milk
- 50 g butter, melted, plus extra for the tin
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Butter a 20 cm square tin (or a cast-iron pan) and put it in the oven for 5 minutes to heat.
- Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter, pour into the dry mix and stir until just combined (a few lumps are fine).
- Pour into the hot tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and cut into squares.
Hot tin, eggs and gluten
Hot ovens, trays and steam: use dry oven gloves, pull the shelf out rather than reaching in, and put hot trays and tins on a heatproof surface. If you put a tray of boiling water in the oven for steam, pour it carefully with the oven door open a little and your face well back: the steam is far hotter than the water.Cornbread and eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and bake until a skewer comes out clean. Eat within 2 days, covered, and reheat until steaming hot.
Rye, spelt and oats are not gluten-free. Rye and spelt contain gluten, and oats are often contaminated with it, so none of these breads suit people with coeliac disease. Cornmeal (maize) is naturally gluten-free, but the cornbread here also uses wheat flour.
Experiments
Experiment
Rye percentage
0, 30 or 60%.
- Make three small loaves from 200 g flour each, with 0%, 30% and 60% rye flour (the rest strong white), adjusting water to a similar dough feel.
Look for: More rye means a darker, denser, stickier and more flavourful loaf. At 60% the crumb is close and the dough very hard to handle.
Experiment
Water amount
Stiff or wet rye.
- Make two small rye doughs, one at 65% water and one at 80%.
Look for: The wetter dough gives a moister crumb and more open structure but is harder to shape; the stiffer dough is easy to handle but denser.
Experiment
Soaking
Soaked or dry oats.
- Make two small oat doughs, one with soaked oats and one with dry oats added with extra water.
Look for: Soaked oats make a softer, moister crumb. Dry oats are chewy and draw water from the dough, leaving it dry.
Experiment
Cooling and cutting
Warm or cooled rye.
- Cut one slice of the rye loaf after 30 minutes and another after 4 hours.
Look for: The warm slice is gummy and compresses. The cooled slice has a firm, clean crumb. Rye rewards patience.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rye and caraway loaf | ||||
| Spelt loaf | ||||
| Oat and honey loaf | ||||
| Cornbread | ||||
| Rye percentage | ||||
| Water amount | ||||
| Soaking | ||||
| Cooling and cutting |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rye loaf dense and gummy | Too much rye, cut too soon, or under-baked | Use 30% rye; bake until hollow; cool for at least an hour |
| Sticky rye dough | Normal | Wet hands and a scraper; don't add flour |
| Spelt loaf collapsed | Over-kneaded or over-proved | Knead briefly; prove less |
| Oat loaf dry | Dry oats absorbed the water | Soak the oats first |
| Cornbread crumbly | Too much cornmeal, or over-baked | Check the ratio; bake until just done |
| Pale crust | Oven too cool | Start hot, then lower the heat |
Gluten, eggs and heat
Rye, spelt and oats are not gluten-free. Rye and spelt contain gluten, and oats are often contaminated with it, so none of these breads suit people with coeliac disease. Cornmeal (maize) is naturally gluten-free, but the cornbread here also uses wheat flour.Cornbread and eggs: use eggs with the British Lion mark and bake until a skewer comes out clean. Eat within 2 days, covered, and reheat until steaming hot.
Hot ovens, trays and steam: use dry oven gloves, pull the shelf out rather than reaching in, and put hot trays and tins on a heatproof surface. If you put a tray of boiling water in the oven for steam, pour it carefully with the oven door open a little and your face well back: the steam is far hotter than the water.
Raw flour: flour is a raw ingredient and can carry bacteria such as E. coli, which are killed only by baking or cooking. Don't taste raw dough, don't let children eat or play with it, and wash your hands, bowls and surfaces after handling flour and dough.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I know which grains have gluten and which do not.
- I can add rye, spelt or oats to a dough sensibly.
- I handle a sticky rye dough with wet hands.
- I can make a quick bread with cornmeal.
- I let rye cool fully before slicing.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Bread 2, chapter 8 is A Baker's Weekend: planning a weekend of sourdough, rolls and pizza, fixing faults and building a bread basket.