Over the past couple years, almost any recipe I post that includes flour comes with the same question: “Can I swap in spelt?” And honestly, it’s amazing how spelt flour has become common knowledge. 5 years ago, it was still pretty niche. Today, it feels like half the people I know are baking with it regularly.
The truth is, for months I’ve been wanting to share a recipe for spelt bread or spelt buns—but every time I tried, the results came out too dense. You know, the kind that dries out the next day, no matter what you do.
Until these buns came along. This recipe uses my classic challah dough, adapted for spelt, and I finally got buns that are ultra-soft, light, and still pillowy the day after baking. You can make sandwiches with them, dunk them in sauce, or eat them plain.
They’re really simple to make: mix, let rise, shape, bake. You can also freeze them after baking and reheat whenever you want a fresh bun.
A few important things to note before we start:
– You can use white spelt flour, whole spelt flour, or a mix. If you use whole spelt for the full amount, add an extra ¼ cup water and make sure you give the dough enough time to rise—it should roughly double in size.
– Yes, the recipe calls for a lot of flour—6½ cups (910 g). I do this to make it easier for your mixer to handle the dough, and so it doesn’t climb over the hook mid-knead. In any case, with yeasted doughs, especially spelt, slow kneading on low speed is key. Use a professional mixer if you have one, then you can push a bit faster.
– One more thing: some people have had the buns collapse after baking. Don’t add more yeast than I list, and don’t overproof before baking. Follow the instructions carefully and the buns will come out perfect every time.
