For those that don’t know, spelt (botanical name: Triticum spelta) is a specialty grain and one of many varieties of wheat berries.  It can be ground into flour and utilized similar to modern red or white wheat.  Spelt has a hearty flavor; a tougher outer husk and larger, slenderer and more pointed, berry than red or white wheat; and less gluten than modern wheat. Spelt is higher in protein than white or red wheat, and has more fiber, complex carbohydrates, iron, and B and K vitamins.  It is more water soluble than modern wheat and requires less kneading when used in yeast breads.  Spelt flour may be used as a substitute for other flours, but be aware that it will most likely produce a smaller crumb than breads made with modern wheat flour.  Spelt may be easier to digest than other forms of wheat and has been recommended to those with celiac disease or other sensitivities to gluten.  Spelt is also referred to as farro grande.  

Spelt flour was used to make matzo in the Old Testament.  Spelt arrived in America around 1890 by Swiss and German immigrants.  It was popular in the United States (mainly the Ohio area) for a few decades until around 1920.  In the United States, it was known as spelz by the Census of Agriculture.  In 1960, spelt was “rediscovered” as an alternative to commercial wheat by the organic farming community.