A super easy, totally foolproof, quick yeast-free Spelt Bread that is ready from start to finish in a little over an hour. It's rustic, full of nutty, hearty flavours and perfectly soft and fluffy inside!
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In a little over an hour, start to finish, a gorgeous warm loaf of completely yeast-free Spelt Bread could be yours to enjoy.
We're talking wholesome, rustic bread that can be made with nothing more than a bowl and a spoon and a loaf pan. We're talking so easy it's crazy and we're talking so tasty when schmeared with vegan butter that you might want to double up the recipe because one loaf will be gone before you know it.
The spelt flour gives this yeast-free bread a nutty, savoury, hearty flavour just like it does in my Vegan Spelt Pancakes. It's soft and fluffy on the inside and slightly crusty and chewy with a scattering of nubbly, toasty oats on the outside. If you'd rather bake with white flour though, go check out my No Yeast White Bread which is an adapted version of this recipe, or my vegan soda bread.
This Spelt Bread is virtually foolproof. Just like my no yeast flatbreads, you don't have to worry about having yeast on hand. You don't have to worry about kneading. You don't have to worry about rise times. It’s just a quick, easy, and very delicious savoury quick bread made with simple ingredients that you can whip up at the last minute.
And we all know that there are few better things than freshly baked bread pulled straight from the oven, and as much as I love baking bread like my Easy Whole Wheat Bread with yeast, sometimes it's nice to have a super quick emergency bread option up your sleeve. Like when you run out of yeast or you decide to make soup for dinner last minute and need a tasty accompaniment.
This Spelt Bread is here for all of your "need bread quick" emergencies and then some because once you've tried it you'll be wanting to make it on the regular.
Ingredients & equipment notes
Here is what you'll be needing to make this Yeast-Free Spelt Bread and why:
- Spelt flour: A flour you see used here on AVV a lot because it's my absolute favourite. It has so much nutty flavour and a light but hearty, fluffy texture when baked. I highly recommend keeping a bag in your pantry. And if you buy it especially for this recipe check out my healthy vegan banana bread and Vegan Spelt Pancakes to help use it up!
- Oats: For texture, toasty oaty flavour, nutrition and presentation.
- Maple syrup - Real maple syrup, not the fake stuff. Its flavour really compliments the spelt flour and oats. It's not enough to make the bread sweet, but adds depth.
- Molasses - Not enough to taste molasses-y, but what is there compliments the spelt, maple and oats flavours and adds depth to the breads flavour.
- Baking powder & baking soda - Both for extra fluff and height. The bonus baking soda reacts with the acidic molasses to boost the ooomph from the baking powder.
- Oil- Not absolutely essential and it can be omitted if you are oil-free, but it does improve the texture slightly and works as a preservative too.
- Salt: Essential in bread for flavour.
You will also need an 8.5 x 4.5-inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Either is fine.
How to make my Easy Spelt Bread
This is the bread recipe you've been waiting for. It's so simple!
Step 1: Grease and line a 9" x 5" (or similar) loaf pan. This USA Pan Loaf Pan is my personal favourite.
Step 2: Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk them up.
Step 3: Add all of the wet ingredients to another bowl and stir them up (it starts off looking white because the molasses sinks, then turns orange once it's all mixed together).
Step 4: Pour the wet into the dry and mix gently. A wooden spoon or a spatula is great for this.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the tin and top with some oats then bake.
And here's what your gorgeous loaf of Spelt Bread looks like when it's done:
Success Tips
- Follow the recipe exactly and weigh the flour. I know I bang on about this every single time but it's so important if you want the very best result. This scale is really inexpensive and accurate.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Just mix it gently and only enough to incorporate the dry flour.
- Be sure to sprinkle the top with some extra oats. It makes it look pretty!
- Try to let it cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it. Notice I say "try". It's very hard to resist and no judging from me if you don't ;O)
Freezing instructions
Cook the spelt bread as per the instructions and cool it thoroughly on a cooling rack. Wrap well or place in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Allow to defrost at room temperature on a cooling rack so it doesn't get damp. Eat as it is or reheat it in a warm oven. 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes should do it. You don't need to put it in a pan. Just sit it straight on the oven shelf.
I like to make two loaves at a time and keep one to eat, then freeze the other for another day.
Ways you can adapt this recipe
This Spelt Bread is pretty perfect as it is but you could:
- Use beer instead of the water/milk (have you tried the yummy beer bread recipe in my cookbook yet?)
- Add some herbs and vegan cheese to the batter
- Make it as muffins instead of a loaf. (Bake at the same temperature for 20 to 25 minutes. Check done-ness with a toothpick/metal skewer).
- Add another couple tablespoons of maple syrup and a couple of handfuls of dried fruit for a sweet, fruity spelt bread.
- Use quinoa flakes instead of oats
- Use all purpose or wholewheat flour but be sure to weigh it o you get exactly the correct amount. 1 cup of spelt flour weighs less than 1 cup of all purpose or wholewheat flour.
Recipe
Easy Yeast-Free Spelt Bread
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 3¾ cups (430 g) spelt flour
- ½ cup (45 g) rolled/old fashioned oats , plus a few more for sprinkling on top. (Do not use steel cut oats)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2¼ cups + 2 teaspoons (550 mls) water or plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon molasses , regular or blackstrap
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup , or 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil of choice , such as avocado oil, light olive oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, canola oil or melted refined coconut oil (measured after melting) - see notes for oil-free option
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf (or similar) with a little oil. Lay a rectangular strip of parchment paper down the middle to stop the bottom of the bread sticking and to act as handles for lifting the loaf out after it's baked.
- To a large mixing bowl add the spelt flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine.
- In another bowl add the water/milk, molasses, maple syrup and oil. Whisk them together well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together gently. Mix until you can no longer see any dry flour but treat it gently and don't beat it hard or use an electric mixer. The batter will be like cake batter consistency.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, scatter some more oats over the top and bake for about 1 hour 5 minutes until it's risen and golden and starting to come away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick or metal skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Cooking times vary depending on your oven and the pan you use so it might need a few minutes more or less.
- Lift the loaf out of the pan and place on a cooling rack. Tip it gently to the side to remove the parchment paper and allow to cool.
NOTES
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Laura says
Hi there. I cannot eat oats. Do you think I can just use more Spelt flour. Thank you so much. Also, why don't people like yeast?
Melanie McDonald says
Who said people don't like yeast? We at AVV love it and bake bread with it often. This is a super quick bread to make when you don't have time to make a yeasted loaf, or for beginner bakers or people intimidated by baking with yeast. I make it often when I decide to make soup for dinner late in the afternoon and we have no bread to go with it. It's really convenient that way.
As for the oats, I've never made this recipe without them. You might be able to omit them, and you probably could add a little more spelt flour instead but as I haven't tried it I can't say how much would be necessary. Flour is more absorbent than oats so you would definitely need less. I'd probably guess at half or a third of the amount. You can see the consistency of the batter in the photos/video so maybe start with half, see what it looks/feels like and add a little more if necessary.
Hope that helps!
Regina Auzinger says
Hi Mel, this recipe looks fantastic! Do you think this could work with wholemeal spelt flour? Thanks heaps, Regina
Melanie McDonald says
Yes. That's fine. Enjoy!
Mandy says
Nice light bread. easy and quick. I did not have molasses but I can imagine it would be a very good addition. thanks for the recipe Mel. Another successful recipe!
M Hill says
I just made this for the first time and love it! So simple and I love the nutty consistency. I’m even thinking to put sunflower seeds in the batter next time. Thanks so much for this recipe!
hannah says
Can this be made without the rolled oats?
Melanie McDonald says
I've never tried it without the oats but I think it should be ok. Obviously I can't guarantee though. I mean I'm sure whatever happens it would be edible, just maybe not at its best because there's a chance the liquid might need tweaking a bit for perfect results. Without trying it I can't say for sure. Hope that helps!
Jane says
WOW!!! I was looking for a bread recipe that would become my go-to recipe. This is it. I have been able to experiment with good results. Thanks
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you're enjoying the recipe, Jane!
N says
Zero chance this recipe is written correctly. To get it even close to the consistency shown here, I had to add over 5 cups of water.
Melanie McDonald says
Then either you aren't measuring correctly or you made some changes to the ingredients. All of my recipes are extremely well-tested by me and a team of recipe testers before they make it here, and will work perfectly if followed 100%. This one is also a good few years old and is really tried and true with consistent 5 star reviews/feedback here and on other platforms like Pinterest.
Sarah-Jane says
I have made this bread every week for multiple weeks now as I have become yeast intolerant. EVERY time it is perfect👌. I have used different types of spelt flour also and it's always reliably good. So easy and quick to make. The timings and ingredients are perfect. It keeps well and toasts wonderfully!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you're enjoying the recipe Sarah-Jane, and thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Trish Erskine says
I have made this recipe a lot, but it still doesn’t seem quite right, even though I follow the recipe to the letter. The bread is quite stodgy, and slightly uncooked in middle, which in turn means it isn’t as light and fluffy as it should be. Please help, as I can only have spelt flour as I have altered my diet as I have breast cancer. Thank you 😀
Melanie McDonald says
Hi Trish, it's impossible to say without seeing your entire process etc. Here's a list of things that could make it stodgy/uncooked in the middle:
Not measuring accurately. Weighing the ingredients with a digital scale is the only way to get the very best results.
Over-mixing the batter.The more you mix the more you activate the gluten. You should only mix gently for just long enough to incorporate everything and no more.
Changing any of the ingredients.
Not getting it in the oven quickly once mixed.
Baking powder and baking soda that isn't fresh (once opened it starts deteriorating. BP lasts for 3 months, BS for 6 months).
Wrong oven temperature. Unless calibrated more ovens aren't entirely accurate. Oven thermometers are pretty cheap if you want to double check.
Not cooking long enough. All ovens are different and all bakeware radiates heat differently. The time is a guide and you should be cooking it until it looks done and a toothpick/skewer comes out clean.
Using the wrong size pan. This recipe has only been tested in a 9 x 5. If you use a different size the bake time will change.
Cutting before it's completely cooled.
Hope that helps!
Debbie Gaudet says
I'm sorry you have breast cancer.
Be strong in your good fight and I wish you good health and happiness.
Allyson says
I love the recipe. Thanks so much. Could you add sunflower seeds and flax? What amount would you add for these ingredients? Thanks.
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you're enjoying it! You could add some sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Just throw a couple of handfuls into the batter. I would steer clear of flaxseeds because they are so absorbent and might make the crumb drier.
Bakers12 says
I have made this and it turned out really well although a bit on the sweet side for me. My next two attempts will be
No syrup or molasses
With syrup and molasses but more salt.
Pamela says
Mel la nie wow. Hi Melanie, I am striving to be vegan, it's a process and I LOVE bread. I just made this, and my son(vegan) and I had a taste test. O my goodness, smh delicious! The texture is just right and the flavours are slamming! I will definitely be making this again with intent on freezing some loaves.
Melanie McDonald says
Amazing! I'm so glad you got to make this bread and enjoyed it so much. Thank you for coming back to leave a review, Pamela!
Lisa Klemm says
I've made this bread SO many times with great results. I just had to share my most recent substitutions. This time I used whole wheat flour and oat but had no "milk" so I used coconut water and coconut oil. I've used the coconut oil before, but figured why not compliment the coconut water and it turned out exceptionally well. One thing I discovered with melted coconut oil is that IF you add it to a liquid base that is not warm, it coagulates. So I always warm up the liquid portion of the recipe and then add the warmed coconut oil. Not sure IF this matters, but it just seems like the right thing to do. I also substituted the molasses with date syrup, just what I had on hand. Great recipe, thx for creating it :)
Abel says
Hi, lovely recipe. Apart from freezing, how else can I store the bread so it lasts a bit longer?
It usually lasts only 2/3 days the some fluffy mould like stuff start to grow on the bread.
Melanie McDonald says
If you want it to last longer then you'll need to freeze it. You can slice bread before freezing then just pull out a couple of slices at a time.
Pennie says
I’m so lost. I’ve tried this recipe twice. Once with whole wheat flour and the second with Oat Flour. The whole wheat turned out dense as a brick with a horrible aftertaste and the oat flour was dense and under cooked. I’d didn’t weigh the flour the first time so I was sure to do it the second time. Both times the batter was very very thick!!! Please help!!
Melanie McDonald says
Lost? You're not following the recipe. This is a spelt bread recipe. You need to use spelt flour not wholewheat flour or oat flour. Follow the recipe as written and it will work perfectly.
Tiffany says
Delicious! Thank you so much! I had it with some coconut sauce i made and it almost tasted like a chowder bread bowl! Thanks for sharing!
Tetley Samson says
Nice and hearty! Very simple to make. This was my first attempt at baking my own spelt bread, and I'm very pleased with the results. Freezing the slices and then toasting works quite well.