Wholemeal Spelt Cinnamon and Raisin Bread (Bread Machine)

This tasty, wonderfully dense wholemeal spelt cinnamon and raisin bread is made in a bread machine. It is slightly sweet and full of juicy raisins. It is so good toasted for breakfast with lashings of butter and jam.

Some of the links in this post might be affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy for more information.

_________

This delicious wholemeal bread is one of my favourite breakfasts. Nobody else in my house likes it, so when I whip up a loaf in my bread machine, I take a couple of slices and freeze the rest. I really like toast but don’t like store bought bread, so this gives me a quick, easy breakfast that is better for me.

Can I use spelt flour in a bread machine?

I have a standard recipe when making dough. It is exactly the same regardless of whether I am making buns, loaves, or sweet breads. It is an enriched dough made with milk, egg and butter. I often prepare the dough in my bread machine and deliberately use a lot less flour than is necessary. I add more flour after the dough is ready, which means I have control over how much to use, which prevents the bread being too dry.

However, although I regularly use a bread machine to make dough (to then shape by hand and bake in the oven), I rarely bake loaves in it. Bread makers behave a little differently than baking bread in the oven. And when we throw spelt flour into the mix, it becomes even more complicated. Well, no. Not complicated. None of the recipes I make are difficult. However, there are definitely more things to factor in when using spelt flour. Especially wholemeal flour.

A long cycle can cause loaves to rise very rapidly and sink just as quickly. This seems more prevalent with spelt flour, which naturally rises very quickly. This can mean that the top of the bread puckers a little, or even deflates during the baking stage. In my experience, this doesn’t alter the taste or texture greatly, though. I’ve carried out my own research to see if a quick cycle might be better for spelt flour, so before you bake your own loaf, have a read of my post, wholegrain spelt: which bread machine cycle is best?

Making bread with wholemeal spelt

The bread is dense and fairly heavy. This is due using only wholemeal spelt flour used in the recipe. If you prefer a lighter crumb, use white spelt flour if you prefer. Or, make the loaf with half white and half wholemeal. I like the denseness of this spelt cinnamon bread as it holds up well as toast; I’ve noticed that white spelt bread is a little more fragile when toasted.

Adding dried fruit to spelt cinnamon bread

I find that adding dried fruit such as apricots, cranberries, or dates help to make denser bread used with wholemeal spelt flour a little more moist. My preferred died fruit is definitely raisins, but sultanas, with their fleshy fruit, also do a great job of moistening up the bread.

The best spelt flour bread recipes

If you are interested in using spelt more often, you might enjoy my other simple homemade breads:

Print Pin