One of the coolest parts of working with freshly milled whole grain flour is the ability to try flours you wouldn’t normally pick up at the grocery store.
Sure, I reach for soft white wheat and hard red quite a bit, but there’s another ancient grain I use just as often. Please allow me to introduce spelt.
Spelt is a slightly sweet, nutty heirloom wheat that dates back thousands of years. It was used by our ancestors long before soft white wheat entered the scene. Like other heritage wheats (einkorn and emmer) spelt is higher in protein and yields lower gluten than modern wheat.
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Health Benefits of Spelt
There’s a lot of nutrition packed into these little wheat berries!
When you grind whole grains into fresh flour, you utilize the entire grain–bran, germ, endosperm, the whole thing. So of course freshly milled spelt flour is fiber rich, but what else does it offer?
Essential Vitamins + Minerals you’ll find in spelt:
- B Vitamins (B1, B3, B6)
- Vitamin E
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Phosphorous
- Calcium
- Selenium
- Zinc
See the entire nutritional breakdown here.
When it comes to nutrients, spelt is a superstar.
100g of spelt boasts a whopping 46% DV of B3 or Niacin, which may help lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar, ease arthritis and support the cardiovascular system. 100g of spelt contains 143% DV of manganese, a mineral that supports bone health, brain health and metabolic health.
Seriously, go order some spelt right now.
This is where I buy all my organic grains.
What Can I Make With Spelt Flour?
Now that you know how incredibly nutritious this powerhouse grain is, let’s talk about what it can do.
I absolutely love baking with spelt flour! It’s the star of my buttermilk pancakes and it takes chocolate chip cookies to the next level. This ancient grain lends a new layer of depth to baked goods.
I use my Nutrimill Harvest to grind spelt into a beautifully fluffy, fine flour.
A little toasty, a little nutty, a little sweet. What more could you want for your next batch of muffins?
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