Spelt Bread/ Rolls

I baked some spelt rolls but they are a bit dry. What can I use to make them more moist?

Black Orchid
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2 Comments

boulangere May 7, 2013
The gluten contained in spelt flour differs from that in conventional wheat flours. In the latter, bread doughs need to be kneaded for varying periods of time in order to develop and stretch the gluten stands into a cooperative shape. In spelt flour, on the other hand, the smaller amount of gluten actually breaks down under a kneading time comparable to that of a true wheat-based dough. If the gluten breaks down, the resulting bread - or rolls - will have a crumbly texture, which may be what you are referring to as being dry. Try your recipe again, but knead for less time - say, half - and see what your results are.

At the same time, let the dough be your guide to what it needs. Once all the ingredients have been hydrated and the dough comes together, stop the mixer and give the dough a pinch. If it feels very firm, it would likely benefit from some additional water (or milk). Once the dough has become, well, a dough, if you add water to the bowl, the dough is simply going to spin around and around like a ride at the state fair, so pull the center of the dough away from the hook and add a couple of tablespoons of water right down in there. Begin kneading again, and after the water has been absorbed, stop the mixer and again give the dough a pinch. Repeat the pinch-water-knead routine as needed until the dough has some softness to it without being sticky. And please let us know your results!
 
Lindsay-Jean H. May 7, 2013
Do you mean for the ones you've already baked, or in the future?

In the future, I think I'd try a new recipe rather than trying to tweak one you weren't smitten with. Kitchen Butterfly's Spelt-Cherry-Chia Bread looks really tasty: http://food52.com/recipes/10602-spelt-cherry-chia-seed-bread

As for the ones you've already baked, you could always turn them into a strata, or croutons, like these: http://food52.com/recipes/19787-savory-seedy-croutons
 
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