This spelt brioche bread is slightly sweet, soft, buttery and amazingly delectable.
After your first bite, you will definitely be wanting more. If you are anything like me, you will be gathering up every last crumb. This spelt brioche bread definitely takes a little bit more time to make than other breads, but I can guarantee you that it will be well worth the effort. This brioche bread served with some butter, jam and a delicious coffee will have you dreaming about visiting a French Café on the banks of the Seine river.
What is brioche bread?
Brioche bread is a bread of French origin. It is made on the same basis as traditional breads, but it has butter, eggs and milk added which adds to its richness and gives the bread its soft, tender crumb. Often brioche bread also has the addition of sugar, which gives it a slightly sweet flavour.
Brioche bread makes a really great substitute for traditional bread in French toast and delicious bread & butter puddings.
What is spelt?
Throughout my recipes, you will find that many of them contain Spelt flour instead of the traditional all-purpose flour.
Spelt is an ancient grain which is a subspecies of wheat that also contains gluten. It has been around for a really long time even dating back to biblical days where it is mentioned in the book of Exodus. Just like traditional flours, spelt comes in two varieties: white and wholewheat. Spelt is really an amazing flour as it can be substituted at a ratio of 1:1 with all-purpose flour. It is my go-to flour as I and a few others in my family struggle with wheat sensitivity, and I find this to be a great replacement.
Here are some other recipes where I use Spelt flour: Spelt Rolls, Spelt Shortcrust Pastry and Date, Walnut & Banana Loaf
What is Xanthan Gum?
Xanthan Gum is a food additive, that is produced through a fermentation process. It is used largely in the food industry as it is an effective thickening agent and stabilizer to prevent ingredients from separating. It also adds stability to products especially in gluten free baked goods.
Xanthan gum provides elasticity and stickiness in doughs and batters. Flours that have low levels or the absence of gluten, needs something that acts as the binding agent for the flour, assists with holding moisture, and helps give the baked good structure, therefore ensuring that they do not fall apart
When baking bread or dough related products with spelt flour, from my experience, I really find that adding Xanthan Gum to the recipe improves the stability of the product, and results in a lighter texture and crumb.
Helpful hints before beginning…
- A stand mixer with a dough hook is highly recommended for ease because the dough has a soft consistency.
- Ensure that the butter and eggs are at room temperature.
- Ensure that the milk is lukewarm and not hot (Hot milk will kill off the yeast).
- Do not be concerned if the dough is soft and sticky because that is exactly what you are looking to achieve. Please do not add more flour.
- Place the dough in the fridge overnight as it will make the dough firmer and easier to shape. This resting period also improves the flavour of the brioche.
How to make a Brioche Spelt Bread
- Into the bowl of your stand mixer, add the yeast, sugar and lukewarm milk. Allow the mix to stand for 5 minutes and you will notice the yeast begin to foam, at this point you can add the eggs and mix until well combined.
- Add in the spelt flour, xanthan gum and salt. Knead for 5 minutes on low speed and then increase the speed and mix for a further 5 minutes or until you are left with a soft, smooth and elastic dough (Please note the dough will be smooth but it will be sticky to the touch)
- Add the softened butter pieces and knead for a further 7 – 10 minutes or until you have a soft and homogenous dough. The dough will be very slack after the butter is added but fear not because as you knead the dough, it will result in a soft, smooth and shiny dough. Once the butter is incorporated, stop kneading as overbeating will cause a compact brioche bread.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour at room temperature, then place into the fridge overnight to rest.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Deflate the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces, weighing about 98 – 100g each. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and arrange, seam side down, in the prepared loaf tins. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1½ – 2 hours or until the dough rounds have doubled in size.
- Lightly beat the remaining egg and lightly brush over the surface of the risen brioche loaves
- Bake the loaves for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to store the spelt brioche bread
Spelt brioche bread is best eating on the same day that it is made but it can be stored in an airtight container for 1 -2 days. This bread recipe yields 2 loaves so I usually slice the loaves and place any leftovers into ziplock bags which I then freeze. You can freeze the bread for up to 1 month. When you are ready to consume, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost. This bread is wonderful when toasted as well and you can serve it with some butter, jam and/or cheese…please give it a try, you won’t be sorry.
If you make this recipe I would love to hear about it!
Please leave a comment below.
Thank you for visiting, until next time, stay blessed
Spelt Brioche Bread
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Milk (Lukewarm)
- 10 Grams Instant Yeast
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs (+1 Egg for eggwash)
- 4 Cups Spelt Flour, White
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Xanthan Gum
- 125 Grams Butter, cubed and softened
Instructions
- Into the bowl of your stand mixer, add the yeast, sugar and lukewarm milk. Allow the mix to stand for 5 minutes and you will notice the yeast begin to foam, at this point you can add the eggs and mix until well combined.
- Add in the spelt flour, xanthan gum and salt. Knead for 5 minutes on low speed and then increase the speed and mix for a further 7 – 10 minutes or until you are left with a soft, smooth and elastic dough (Please note the dough will be smooth but it will be sticky to the touch)
- Add the softened butter pieces and knead for a further 5 minutes or until you have a soft and homogenous dough. The dough will be very slack after the butter is added but fear not because as you knead the dough, it will result in a soft, smooth and shiny dough. Once the butter is incorporated, stop kneading as overbeating will cause a compact brioche bread.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour at room temperature, then place into the fridge overnight to rest.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Deflate the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces, weighing about 98 – 100g each. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and arrange, seam side down, in the prepared loaf tins. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1½ – 2 hours or until the dough rounds have doubled in size.
- Lightly beat the remaining egg and lightly brush over the surface of the risen brioche loaves.
- Bake the loaves for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Spelt flour can be replaced at a 1:1 ratio with all-purpose flour but then you will also need to remove the xanthan gum from the recipe.
