Best Spelt Flour Substitute
What is Spelt flour?
Spelt Flour is made from an ancient grain that is a primitive relative of current wheat and is delicious and simple to digest. The majority of all-purpose and whole-wheat flour recipes, including those for bread, cookies, muffins, and waffles, may be made using this whole-grain flour.
This flour has a considerable level of fiber and is high in protein. The flour works well for baking and may be substituted for wheat flour in most recipes. Due to the excellent health benefits of spelt flour, it is used in baking and making of lots of varieties of recipes, and it could be problematic if there are no viable substitutes for spelt flour that is why I have taken my time to compile a list of popularly used substitutions for spelt flour to help budding cooks/bakers and experienced cooks/bakers discover alternatives for spelt flour that could make their job easier.
Spelt Flour Substitute
Coconut flour
Coconut flour is a naturally occurring byproduct of the manufacturing of coconut milk and is made from dried, powdered coconut meat. Coconut flour is a white or off-white flour that is frequently used in baking, similar to wheat flour.
In most recipes, coconut flour can be used in place of spelt; however, because it contributes to a light and fluffy texture, baking is where it shines. People following gluten-free diets can use coconut flour in place of regular flour as it doesn’t contain gluten.
Wheat Flour
Wheat flour is made from grinding of wheat grain into powdered form, tis ground wheat is then used for varieties of baking and cooking recipes all over the world. It is a very popular and widely used type of flour for many reasons which includes nutritional and health benefits. And that makes it an excellent substitute for spelt flour especially as wheat flour is known to have a high concentration of protein.
Wheat flours are identified by the different levels of gluten they contain as well as how they are made, if a wheat variety has a low gluten content, it is referred to as “soft” or “weak,” and if it has a high gluten content, it is referred to as “hard” or “strong.”
For yeast bread, hard red and hard white wheat works well. Cakes, pastries, and other baked items, as well as crackers and cereal, work best when made with soft wheat. The greatest pasta(like couscous and its substitutes) is made with durum wheat, which is known as the toughest type of wheat.
The primary difference between spelt flour and wheat flour is wheat flour’s increased protein content. Irrespective of this slight difference, wheat flour is a great substitute for spelt flour.
Almond Flour
Almond flour, which is made from grinding almonds, can be used in place of spelt flour in almost any recipe. You can get it at supermarkets and health food stores, or you can create it at home with ease. Almond flour contains vitamins, proteins, minerals, fibers, and antioxidants that may have significant health advantages.
Magnesium, which might help you better control your blood sugar levels, is also abundant in almond flour.
Einkorn Flour
The grains of an ancient type of wheat that was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent about 12,000 years ago are used to make einkorn flour. Einkorn wheat, in contrast to modern wheat, has a single grain on each stem. It is a resilient plant that survives in even the most adverse conditions.
Although einkorn flour is a kind of spelt flour, it has a different gluten composition. Spelt contains fewer nutrients and is more difficult to digest than Einkorn flour.
Oat Bran
The outside of the oat groat, which is just below the inedible hull, is known as the bran. While oat bran is naturally present in oat groats and steel-cut oats, it is also available as a stand-alone item. Only the outer layer of the oat groat seed is used to make oat bran.
Compared to spelt wheat, oat flour is denser, so you might need to use more of it to achieve the same results. Oat bran works as a great spelt flour substitution.
You might need to modify your recipe because oat bran absorbs more moisture than spelt flour.
Barley Flour
Barley is dried and processed to make a flour called barley flour. Barley bread and various breads, including flatbread and yeast breads, are made from barley flour. It is made from milled barley and does contain gluten. It is not as subtle as spelt flour but they are still similar in consistency.
Although barley does contain gluten, the amount is lower than that of spelt, making it challenging to create the ideal structure for bread loaves. However, it does work well in flatbreads and as a soup or sauce thickener.
Buckwheat Flour
A gluten-free flour, buckwheat flour is made from milled buckwheat seeds. It is one of the greatest spelt flour alternatives for your recipes.
While it tastes sweet and nutty like spelt, it behaves slightly differently when used in cooking and baking. Buckwheat creates great pancakes and muffins, but when used for bread baking, it typically needs to be blended with another flour. Buckwheat flour is a great substitution for spelt flour. By the way, you might want to see some buckwheat flour substitutes you could use to replace buckwheat flour in your baking.
The above are the best substitutions for spelt flour when you are baking, these substitutions are popular among bakers and cooks who have spent years using them to replace spelt flour in different recipes. In the next section I would be answering some popular and frequently asked questions about spelt flour substitutes.
FAQs About Substitutes For Spelt Flour
What is spelt flour substitute?
Spelt flour substitutes are wheat flour, oat bran, barley flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, einkorn flour and coconut flour. These substitutes work very well as replacement for spelt flour.
What is spelt flour made from?
Spelt flour is made from spelt wheat, but unlike whole wheat, spelt flour is made from grinding the entire wheat grain including the bran, endosperm, germ, and everything.
What is spelt used for?
Spelt flour is used for baking of cookies, muffins, bread, pies, cakes and many more. Spelt flour is also used in the making of different types of pastas.
Can I substitute all-purpose flour for spelt?
Yes you can substitute all-purpose flour for spelt flour in your baking needs, because they actually share a similar amount of protein content in them. They are each good as replacements for one another.
What is the same as spelt flour?
No flour is exactly the same as spelt flour but whole wheat flour comes close in similarity to spelt flour because they are both made from wheat grains and prepared using slightly different methods.
Can almond flour replace spelt flour?
Yes you can replace spelt flour with almond flour, because almond flour is one of the most healthy and very nutritional replacements for spelt flour. Almond flour is naturally gluten free and that makes it a very excellent replacement.
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of spelt flour?
Yes you can use whole wheat flour instead of spelt flour flour in your recipes because they are both made from wheat but spelt flour typically has more and different flavor from wheat flour.
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