We interrupt our regularly scheduled gluten-free programing for a few posts filled with ancient grain spelt. I’m on a roll with spelt right now and I’m so enjoying working with a dough that has some gluten in it. I apologize to those of you who follow the blog for gluten-free recipes. Next week I’ll return with more great gluten-free recipes for you. Promise.
For those like me who can tolerate the ancient grains, you should make these! They’re so soft and chewy and buttery and salty. You’ll love them!
Many of you know that I am a professional food stylist. I love all my clients but there are times when working certain jobs is kind of hard – especially when it’s a food that I used to love but can’t have anymore because it’s made with wheat. Such is the case with my pretzel client. In the last couple weeks I spent days styling delicious, butter-dipped pretzels. It was rough. I used to love these pretzels at the mall with sweet mustard.
So, I came home and decided to play around with the white spelt flour in my pantry. It took me a few practice batches to get something I really liked but it sure was fun eating all the test subjects!
If you’ve never worked with spelt flour, it’s different than wheat flour. I talk a little more about it in this post for glazed, cream-filled donuts. They worked out SO well, it was really encouraging to keep going with it and see what all I could make.
A couple notes on this recipe:
• I used white spelt flour from Small Valley Milling. I get it at a local health food store but you can buy them on Small Valley’s website too.
• Plan on some time to make this recipe. The dough will need to rise two times for a total of about 2 hours of rising time. I use my proofing feature in my convection oven but you can also proof your dough in the oven with the door closed and the oven off. Place a bowl of boiling water on the bottom rack to maintain heat and moisture while rising.
• I choose to use avocado or olive oil for this recipe to avoid GMO seed oils.
• The baking soda water is very important to making the outside of the pretzels beautifully browned and the inside soft and chewy. You know, pretzel like.
• During the making of these pretzels, I had the chance to try the white wine & tarragon mustard from Christina Maser, a local company in Lancaster, PA. Let me tell you, it was a.ma.zing. We cleaned out the mustard jar with bits of pretzel and were sad that it was over. Hop on over and show her some product love. You can purchase the mustard here.
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1 tsp. instant yeast
- 1 tsp. honey
- 2 tsp. avocado or olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 ½ cups white spelt
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- ⅓ cup baking soda
- 3 cups boiling water
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- Extra flour for the counter
- In a measuring cup, combine warm water, honey and yeast. Allow to bloom for 5-10 mins.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Knead on the counter with extra flour for about 15 minutes or until strong and elastic.
- Place dough in a bowl lightly sprayed with cooking spray and covered with a lightly sprayed piece of plastic wrap or a damp cloth.
- Allow to proof for an hour or until doubled in size.
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- Preheat oven to 500˚.
- When dough is doubled, dump out onto floured surface.
- Using a scale, separate 115 grams of dough (or separate into 6 equal pieces) and roll into a thin rope about 24" long.
- Carefully twist into a pretzel shape and dip into baking soda wash.
- Allow to drain for a minute on a cooling rack over a baking pan.
- Place each pretzel on a baking sheet covered with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with fleur de sel or course salt.
- Bake until browned (about 15 mins), turning the pans half way through.
- Serve with spicy mustard.