I hear you: you want a healthier homemade bread that’s easy to make, well, this ancient grains bread is for you. I made mine with spelt flour and added some millet and quinoa seeds to make a nutrient-packed loaf perfect for beginner bakers. You don’t need a sourdough starter —just simple cupboard ingredients for a delicious, wholesome bread.
What you’ll love about this recipe
I am fully aware that you might have no bandwidth in your life for nurturing a sourdough starter which is why I tested this recipe for ancient grain bread that you can make in a few hours rather than days.
- No sourdough starter required – ideal for beginner bakers.
- Nutritious & wholesome – made with spelt, an ancient grain rich in fiber and nutrients. Your gut will thank you!
- Easy to make – no kneading or complicated steps.
- Versatile – enjoy it plain or incorporate some millet seeds and top with quinoa for even more texture.
- Great flavor – a mildly nutty and slightly sweet taste perfect for any meal.
Ingredients you’ll need
- White and Wholemeal Spelt
- Fast Action Yeast
- Salt
- Millet Seeds – as inclusions, optional
- Quinoa – as topping, optional
How to make ancient grains bread (step-by-step)
Time needed: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Bake your own ancient grains bread using spelt flour—no sourdough starter in sight! A wholesome, homemade loaf packed with nutritious grains and perfect for beginners.
- Mix the Dough
Use a scale to measure water added to a large bowl, then add the yeast and mix it lightly. Then add the flours and salt and mix well until no dry patches are left. Use your hand to mix the dough until it becomes more elastic rather than sticky (count 40 twists, or around a minute). Cover with plastic and allow it to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Stretch and Fold
Every 15 minutes, wet your hand slightly then grab a side of the dough stretching and folding over, turn the bowl at a 45 degrees angle clockwise and fold each side. If you add millet seeds, this is the time when you sprinkle them, as you fold they stick to the dough. You should complete three stretch and folds then let the dough rise in the covered bowl. The dough takes just over an hour to double in size.
- Shape the Dough
Once the dough is doubled in size, turn it to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a log by folding it and rolling it. If you are adding seed toppings, roll the top of the dough in a layer of seeds, or brush some beaten egg white to help the seeds stick.
- Proofing
Add the log of dough top down in a proofing basket, making sure to sprinkle with rice flour to stop it from sticking, then cover it with a wet towel. It takes less than an hour for this dough to rise an inch or an inch and a half above the proofing basket. Or you can put it in the fridge to bake the next morning.
- Bake and Enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Turn the dough onto a baking sheet, make a long slit on the top with a lame or sharp knife and put it in a covered Dutch oven. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and leave it for another 15 minutes until golden brown and the seeds are nicely toasted. If not using a Dutch oven, bake the loaf either in a loaf tin or on a sheet pan, adding a water tray at the bottom of the oven (to create steam) for the first 15 minutes to get a lovely thin crust and reduce the baking time by 10 minutes.
Pro Tips
- Different flours behave differently, this depends on their protein content and the way they develop gluten structure. Don’t worry if your dough feels a little wet, it is actually better than if the dough is too dry. I have noticed that if the dough is too dry and stiff, the loaf is crumbly and dry too.
- With spelt, you need to build up that gluten structure, so make sure you mix the dough well at the beginning without kneading, just follow the instructions.
- This dough doubles quite quickly (less than 1.5 hours) especially if the temperature in your kitchen is higher, so watch it closely.
- You can place the dough in the fridge overnight to prove after shaping and bake it in the morning.
- This loaf does not rise too much in the oven, so don’t feel disappointed, it is quite normal.
What to serve with ancient grains bread
- Best for Breakfast: I always have bread for breakfast, whether fresh or toasted. I really love this toast with blueberries and ricotta, but you can top this bread with peanut butter and fruit, or a slick of honey. Or if you’re a savory girl like me, dunk the crust in some gloriously runny eggs like in my Moroccan Shakshuka.
- Quick Lunch or Snack: you can fill up a glorious sandwich much like my buttermilk chicken and avocado burger! Or top a few slices of ancient grains bread with cheese and tomatoes and give them a quick toast in the oven like in my pizza on sourdough bread.
- Dips or Hummus: I actually served my butter bean hummus with a hunk of this delicious bread toasted in a griddle pan more than once, it’s so satisfying.
- Soups or Stews are not complete without bread. One of my favorite fresh soups is this pea and basil soup, oh, imagine dunking a chunk of lovely crispy ancient grains bread!
variations and substitutions
- Flour Swap: You can change the flour with other ancient grains flours such as einkorn or emmer. I will warn you though, this will have to be tested, I only made sourdough with a mix of these flours, they have different protein content and their ability to produce a strong gluten is different, so you may get mixed results. But even if you use a strong whole wheat flour instead of the wholemeal spelt, you will get great results.
- Seed Additions: you can either use seeds as inclusions or toppings, think sunflower, pumpkin (pepitas), flax (or linseed), chia seeds, sesame or poppy seeds. My mum always adds flax and sunflower seeds inside the dough.
- Open Bake or Tin: if you don’t own a Dutch oven, no worry! Just bake the loaf either in a loaf tin or on a sheet pan, adding a water tray at the bottom of the oven (creates steam) for the first 10 minutes to get a lovely thin crust.
This ancient grains bread is wholesome, delicious, and beginner-friendly, although I really encourage you to come back for a sourdough version soon. I am sure that once you try it and see how easy it is to enjoy a healthier loaf straight from your kitchen, you’ll stop buying the supermarket loafs like I did 4 years ago!
- If you make my recipe, take a snapshot for your Instagram
- Post and tag me @candyflossiecooks😉🤗!
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recipe FAQ
Yes, but you need a sourdough starter of baker’s fresh yeast.
This bread does not keep well for long, so once it has cooled down, slice it and keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
I haven’t tried it, but my guess is yes, although I suggest not kneading too long.
Ancient Grains Bread
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 proofing basket banneton
- 1 Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 350 g water
- 7 g fast action yeast
- 125 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 375 g white spelt flour
- 10 g salt
- 40 g millet seeds or 4 tbsp (optional)
- 20 g quinoa or 2tbsp to top the loaf (optional)
Instructions
Mix the Dough
- Use a scale to measure water added to a large bowl, then add the yeast and mix it lightly. Then add the flours and salt and mix well until no dry patches are left. Use your hand to mix the dough until it becomes more elastic rather than sticky (count 40 twists, or around a minute). Cover with plastic and allow it to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
Stretch and Fold
- Every 15 minutes, wet your hand slightly then grab a side of the dough stretching and folding over, turn the bowl at a 45 degrees angle clockwise and fold each side. If you add millet seeds, this is the time when you sprinkle them, as you fold they stick to the dough. You should complete three stretch and folds then let the dough rise in the covered bowl. The dough takes just over an hour to double in size.
Shape the Dough
- Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a log by folding it and rolling it. If you are adding quinoa or seed toppings, roll the top of the dough in a layer of seeds, or brush some beaten egg white to help the seeds stick.
Proofing
- Add the log of dough top down in a proofing basket, making sure to sprinkle with rice flour to stop it from sticking. It takes 45 minutes for this dough to rise an inch or an inch and a half above the proofing basket. Or you may put it in the fridge to bake the next morning.
Bake and Enjoy!
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Turn the dough onto a baking sheet, make a long slit on the top with a lame or sharp knife and put it in a covered Dutch oven. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and leave it for another 15 minutes until golden brown and the seeds are nicely toasted. If not using a Dutch oven, bake the loaf either in a loaf tin or on a sheet pan, adding a water tray at the bottom of the oven (to create steam) for the first 15 minutes to get a thin crust and reduce the baking time by 10 minutes.
Notes
- This dough doubles quite quickly (less than 1.5 hours) especially if the temperature in your kitchen is higher, so watch it closely.
- You can place the dough in the fridge overnight to prove after shaping and bake it in the morning.
- This loaf does not rise too much in the oven, so don’t feel disappointed, it is quite normal.
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