It seemed like forever since I had baked a fresh loaf of bread. Tony had some toast cravings, so I eagerly walked to the store for the necessary supplies. That’s when I spotted the spelt flour. I have always loved the taste of whole grains, but something about the light sweetness of spelt always wins me over. Combined with a touch of cinnamon, this cinnamon spelt bread is a lovely loaf of lightly sweet bread.
Cinnamon Spelt Bread for a Delicious Whole Grain Breakfast
Though we both loved my Hearty German-Style Bread, which is also made with spelt, we often crave something a bit lighter in taste for breakfast. So more than a decade ago, I started adapting a very simple spelt bread recipe from Arrowhead Mills. I usually buy organic cinnamon in bulk, so this cinnamon spelt bread has become a favorite variation.
I shared this recipe more than a decade ago on my old blog, but am updating it and moving it to our recipe section today. Tony likes it topped with nut butter and jelly. I usually top mine with nut butter and honey or even a homemade honey spread. Leftover cinnamon spelt bread also makes a deliciously healthy French toast for a weekend brunch!
This is a “by hand” recipe, but don’t worry, in my update of this recipe, I also updated my Bread Maker Recipe for spelt bread.
Special Diet Notes: Cinnamon Spelt Bread
By ingredient, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 2¼ teaspoons or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar, or sweetener of choice
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 to 3½ cups whole grain spelt flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Grease an 8x4-inch loaf pan (for a taller loaf) or a 9x5-inch loaf pan (for a wider, shorter loaf).
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm water, sweetener and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes. It should become a little foamy or bubbly. If it doesn't, your yeast might be inactive. Start again with fresh yeast.
- Stir in the oil, followed by 1½ cups of the flour, the cinnamon, and salt. Mix until it is well combined.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the loose dough sit for 30 minutes to an hour in a warm place to rise. It should double in size.
- Gradually mix in another 1½ cups of the flour, kneading it with your hands as the dough gets stiff. Continue adding more flour, as needed, until the dough is smooth, and just a little sticky, but no longer sticking to your hands. Knead the dough for a few minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Shape the dough into a loaf shape that will fit nicely into your prepared loaf pan.
- Cover it with that damp cloth and let it rise for about 1 hour in a warm place.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- Remove the cloth and bake the loaf for 30 to 40 minutes. Once done, the crust will have a nice deep brown hue.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing it to cool completely on a wire rack.
4 Comments
I made this today and the first time baking with Spelt flour. I found it easy to put together. It was very filling and I have this saved as my go to for spelt buns. (I made it into buns instead of bread.). Thanks for posting it. ????
Buns sound wonderful! Thank you for sharing your feedback Denny.
What if you don’t have a bread machine?
This isn’t a bread machine recipe Sisi – it just has a bread machine option. Just follow the recipe with the regular instructions and you’re good!