An Easy No-Knead Bread Recipe with Spelt, Fruit, and Nuts
Make this no-knead bread recipe for a loaf that comes together in two hours with dried fruits, nuts, and hearty spelt flour.
If you’re someone who was already reading food blogs back in 2006, you probably heard about the famous New York Times no-knead bread recipe. Soon after it was published, the recipe inspired dozens of copycat recipes — and then slowly faded into the background like most Internet fads do. Today, we’re reviving this classic with a hearty spelt version.
What Is Spelt Flour?
Spelt is a superfood grain that’s packed with protein, and it’s also one of the world’s most ancient grains. It’s a subspecies of wheat, but spelt has a stronger husk and different nutritional content. Spelt flour can be used as a replacement for wheat flour in most recipes, and is commonly found in food products like crackers and pasta.
It has a delicious nutty flavor that perfectly complements the fruits and nuts in this spelt bread recipe. We love nuts in bread for a bit of extra protein, and fruit and nut bread also feels a bit festive and special around the holidays. Plus, it makes for a slice that’s hearty and filling — one piece makes the perfect simple breakfast.
The Health Benefits of Spelt
Spelt is known as a supergrain for a reason, making it perfect for this no-knead bread recipe. It’s an excellent source of dietary fiber, and is rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and niacin (vitamin B-3)1. Opting for a spelt bread recipe instead of a standard wheat option is a super simple way to increase your fiber intake — which offers a range of great health benefits.
Support Heart Health
Whole grains like spelt have been shown to lower your risk for heart disease and stroke. An analysis of 18 different studies found that people who ate the most whole grains had a 21% lower chance of heart disease2.
Lower Blood Pressure
The higher dietary fiber content of spelt can reduce hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Ultimately, high blood pressure can increase your risk of serious health conditions like stroke and heart disease, so getting the appropriate daily intake of fiber is key.
Healthy Digestion
If you’ve ever been constipated, you were probably encouraged to eat some fiber. Fiber makes stool easier to pass, which is an essential part of healthy digestion. Spelt’s dietary fiber content can help with all kinds of digestive complaints, from bloating to hemorrhoids.
Improved Cholesterol Levels
Spelt contains soluble fiber, which is the best type of fiber when it comes to lowering cholesterol.
Soluble fiber can reduce your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol levels, in a few different ways. The fiber forms a thick, gelatinous substance in your intestines, which traps cholesterol and prevents it from being absorbed into your bloodstream. The fiber also increases excretion, so your body removes that trapped cholesterol via your stool3.
Bacteria in your large intestine also feeds on soluble fiber through fermentation. This helps create a healthy gut and produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and the absorption of SCFAs decreases cholesterol synthesis in the liver, lowering blood cholesterol.
My Spelt Bread Tips
The no-knead bread recipe itself can be modified as much as you like. I’ve tried it with all sorts of dried fruits and nuts, and it always comes out delicious. The dried fruit makes it sweet enough to have with breakfast, but not so sweet as to deter you from using it for sandwiches. I personally think the most delicious way to eat it is with a wedge of excellent cheese — the salty creaminess of cheese makes for an incredible pairing.
The best way to make this bread is in a heavy earthenware pot or a Dutch oven, like this Pampered Chef Enameled Dutch oven. I love Dutch oven bread because it makes an easy no-knead bread recipe even easier — it helps your bread develop that perfect crust without making a mess in the kitchen. We’re giving it a special call out to it’s super useful stainless steel handle that makes it easy to pick up and remove and put on the lid as needed (other Dutch ovens have small tiny knobs that make them easy to drop!).
Spelt No-Knead Bread Recipe
Makes one loaf
Ingredients
3 cups spelt flour
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. chia seeds
1/2 cup dried fruit (chopped prunes, craisins, dried apricots, dates)
1/2 cup nuts (chopped walnuts, almonds)
Directions
The night before you want to bake your bread, combine the flour, yeast, salt and water in a bowl. Stir until blended. Add the prunes and walnuts. Cover with a plate and leave out at room temperature (in the winter, if your kitchen gets cold, you can put this in the oven with the light on).
In the morning, turn your dough out onto a floured surface. Cut in half shape into two balls. Cover with a floured kitchen towel and allow to rise for two hours. It should double in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a heavy enamel or ceramic pot with a lid, like a Dutch oven, in the oven as it heats. After half an hour of heating, remove the Dutch oven and carefully place the two pieces of dough inside, one next to the other. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15-20.
Allow to cool fully before slicing.
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