We mill the spelt immediately before baking so the grains retain their full essential oils and enzymes. Freshly milled wholemeal flour smells nutty and gives the dough a gentle sweetness that oxidises away in shop-bought flour. We have been baking these sticks for years as a first bread from 8 months.
The Thermomix® mills the 700 g of spelt grains into fine wholemeal flour in two batches. 1 minute / speed 10 per portion. The flour comes out warm from the mixing bowl. That is not a problem; it actually helps the yeast get going. Between the two milling runs, simply empty the mixing bowl without cleaning it.
Spelt Wholemeal Sticks with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 700 g spelt grains
- 50 g rapeseed oil
- 1 cube fresh yeast
- 320 g water lukewarm
- 1 tbsp diastatic malt powder
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2-3 tsp salt
- flour for shaping
Instructions 0 / 5
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1
Mill the spelt grains.
Place 350 g of spelt grains in the mixing bowl and mill for 1 minute / speed 10, then set aside. Repeat with the second portion of spelt grains.
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2
Knead the dough.
Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl, knead for 3 minutes / kneading mode and leave covered to rise for 30 minutes.
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3
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (fan/convection 230 °C) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
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4
Shape the spelt sticks.
Dust the dough lightly with flour, scoop out 24 portions with a spoon, roll into sticks and place on the baking tray.
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5
Bake the spelt sticks.
Bake the sticks for approximately 15 minutes.
Tip: These sticks are ideal for introducing bread to babies. We recommend baking a full batch straight away, as they freeze well and can be taken out of the freezer as needed.
Nutrition per serving
Why spelt instead of wheat
Spelt has more protein than wheat and forms a stronger gluten network. The sticks are firmer and less likely to break off when a baby grabs one. Spelt also contains less phytic acid, which makes it easier to digest. For babies from 8 months it is a gentler way to introduce bread.
Wholemeal flour milled from whole grains includes all the outer layers of the grain. Those layers hold minerals and dietary fibre. Shop-bought wholemeal flour loses these nutrients during storage as the fats in the outer layers oxidise. After 3 weeks the loss is measurable. Freshly milled flour makes a clear difference in both flavour and baking performance.
Yeast and diastatic malt for babies
Yeast is safe for babies from 8 months. The yeast cube is heated to 200 °C during baking and is killed off in the process. What remains are enzymes and B vitamins. Diastatic malt powder adds extra enzymes that make the dough more elastic and help the sticks rise during baking.
The 320 g of lukewarm water should ideally be at 37 °C. At this temperature the yeast works fastest. Water that is too hot kills the yeast; water that is too cold slows the rise. The 30-minute rest after kneading is essential. During this time the dough roughly doubles in volume.
Leave out salt and sugar until the first birthday
The 1 pinch of sugar and the 2 to 3 tsp of salt should be left out for babies under 12 months. A baby’s kidneys cannot yet process larger amounts of salt. Sugar is also unnecessary and trains the palate in the wrong direction.
Without salt and sugar the sticks taste bland to adults. For babies, the flavour of spelt is enough. From the first birthday both ingredients can go back into the recipe. The sticks will then have a more robust flavour and develop a golden-brown crust.
Portioning 24 sticks evenly
After rising, dust the dough lightly with flour so it does not stick. Scoop out 24 portions with a tablespoon and roll into sticks. Each stick should weigh about 50 g and be about 10 cm long. Sticks that are too small dry out during baking; sticks that are too large stay raw inside.
Place the sticks on baking paper and leave enough space between them. They rise a little more during baking. If they touch, they will stick together. A gap of 2 cm between the sticks is about right.
200 °C top and bottom heat for a crisp crust
The oven must be fully preheated before the sticks go in. At 200 °C top and bottom heat, or 230 °C fan, they bake through in about 15 minutes. The crust turns lightly golden and the inside stays soft.
Fan heat dries the sticks out more than top and bottom heat. For babies, the softer result from top and bottom heat is better. The sticks stay fresher for longer and are easier to chew.
Freezing in batches
Let the baked sticks cool completely, then pack them into freezer bags and freeze. When needed, take a stick from the freezer and leave it to thaw at room temperature. After 30 minutes it is ready to eat.
Frozen sticks keep for 3 months without losing quality. We always bake the full batch and freeze half. That way we always have a supply ready for outings or unplanned meals.
Goes well with: Butter, cheese and hummus.
You can find more Thermomix® recipes for babies and toddlers in our baby and toddler recipe collection. There are over 80 recipes ranging from first purees to family meals.
