Monastery bakeries have occupied a central place in European food culture since at least the 6th century, when the Rule of St Benedict made bread baking a fundamental communal obligation. Benedictine, Cistercian, and Trappist monasteries across France, Germany, Belgium, and Austria maintained water mills, grain stores, and bakeries that not only fed their own communities but supplied surrounding villages and, eventually, funded monastic charitable works through commercial sales. Many of these institutions developed their own distinct bread recipes using the grains they grew β emmer, spelt, rye β sweetened with honey from their monastery apiaries rather than with refined sugar, which was long considered a luxury ingredient unsuitable for the ascetic life. This spelt and honey loaf captures that tradition. Spelt (Triticum spelta) is an ancient grain that was widely used in European monasteries before modern wheat monocultures marginalised it; it has a nuttier, more complex flavour than standard wheat and a slightly more extensible dough that rewards gentle handling. The honey serves two purposes: it sweetens the bread naturally and it accelerates yeast activity, creating a vigorous rise despite the relatively small amount of yeast. The finished loaf is dense and moist with a dark crust and a subtly sweet, almost malty crumb β excellent plain, with good butter and honeycomb, or toasted with soft cheese.
Serves 8
Measure 250 ml of warm water (about 38Β°C β it should feel pleasantly warm, not hot, on your wrist). Dissolve the honey in it by stirring well. Sprinkle the instant yeast over the surface and leave for 8β10 minutes without stirring until a thick, frothy foam forms. This confirms the yeast is alive and active.
If after 10 minutes there is no foam, the yeast may be old or the water too hot (above 45Β°C kills yeast). Start again with fresh yeast.
In a large bowl, combine the spelt flour and salt, whisking briefly to distribute the salt evenly. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains visible.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 7β8 minutes. Spelt dough is noticeably stickier and more extensible than standard wheat dough β resist the urge to add too much extra flour, which will make the bread dry. The dough is ready when it is smooth, slightly tacky, and springs back when you poke it.
Spelt has less strong gluten than bread flour β do not overwork it or the gluten structure will tear. Gentle, rhythmic kneading is better than vigorous stretching.
Form the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth or cling film. Leave in a warm, draught-free spot for 60β75 minutes until the dough has approximately doubled in size. A switched-off oven with just the light on (around 28Β°C) is ideal.
Lightly flour your work surface. Punch the dough down gently to deflate it, then shape it into a smooth oval or round. Place in a greased 900g (2lb) loaf tin, or on a baking sheet lined with parchment for a freeform loaf. Cover loosely and leave for a second rise of 30β40 minutes until puffy and risen just above the rim of the tin.
Preheat the oven to 200Β°C (fan 180Β°C). Just before baking, score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or lame β a single deep slash down the centre for a tin loaf, or a cross for a round. Bake for 35β40 minutes until the crust is deep golden-brown.
Place a small ovenproof dish of water in the bottom of the oven during baking β the steam helps create a better crust.
Remove the loaf from the tin and tap the base firmly β it should sound hollow, like a drum. If it sounds dense or thuddy, return to the oven (without the tin) for 5 more minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing β cutting hot bread compresses the crumb and produces a gummy texture. If desired, brush the top of the hot loaf immediately with a teaspoon of warm honey for a glossy, lightly sweet crust.
Use whole spelt flour rather than white spelt flour if you want the full nutty, earthy flavour of a monastery loaf β the result will be denser but more characterful.
Artisan or local honey with distinct floral or herbal notes (chestnut, lavender, acacia) adds its own flavour character to the bread β this is worth experimenting with.
Spelt absorbs liquid slightly differently from batch to batch depending on freshness β if the dough feels very stiff, add 1β2 extra tablespoons of water during kneading.
A Dutch oven (covered cast-iron casserole) produces a spectacular crust: preheat it in the oven to 230Β°C, lower the dough in on a square of parchment, replace the lid, bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 15β20 minutes.
This bread makes exceptional toast β the honey and spelt create a caramelised crumb when toasted that is significantly better than standard toast.
Walnut and honey spelt bread: press 80g of roughly chopped walnuts into the dough after the first rise when shaping β they add crunch and complement the honey and spelt perfectly.
Spelt and rye loaf: replace 100g of the spelt flour with dark rye flour for a denser, more austere bread with a slightly sour edge β characteristic of northern European monastery breads.
Fruit and nut monastery loaf: fold in 60g of raisins or dried cranberries and 40g of chopped mixed nuts after the first rise for a richer, more celebratory variant eaten on feast days.
Sourdough version: replace the instant yeast with 150g of active sourdough starter and extend the first rise to 4β6 hours (or refrigerate overnight for a slow, cold fermentation) for a more complex, slightly tangy loaf.
Store the cooled loaf at room temperature wrapped in a clean cloth (not plastic, which softens the crust) for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze in a zip-lock bag for up to 2 months β frozen slices can be toasted directly from frozen. Do not refrigerate bread β the starch retrogrades faster in the cold, making it stale more quickly than room-temperature storage.
Bread baking has been central to European monastic life since the Rule of St Benedict (c. 516 CE) mandated that monks perform manual labour including tending their own fields and baking their own bread. Cistercian monasteries, founded in the 12th century as a reform of Benedictine practice, were particularly known for agricultural self-sufficiency, including the cultivation of ancient grain varieties and the management of apiaries for honey. Monastery breads sweetened with honey rather than sugar remained a tradition in German and Austrian Benedictine communities well into the 20th century, and several European monasteries β including the Abbey of Saint-Maurice in Switzerland β still sell their own honey-sweetened spelt loaves.
Yes β both work well in this recipe. Bread flour will produce a lighter, more elastic loaf with a better rise; plain flour gives a more modest loaf. The result with either will taste less nutty and complex than the spelt version, but it is completely acceptable. Use the same quantities.
Spelt naturally produces a denser loaf than standard wheat bread because its gluten structure is weaker. Ensure your yeast is fully active (frothy at the activation stage), your rise is complete (the dough should genuinely double), and you haven't added too much flour during kneading. A dense but moist loaf is actually characteristic and not a failure.
Yes β this recipe is entirely hand-made. Spelt dough is softer than standard bread dough and easier to hand-knead; 7β8 minutes of firm, rhythmic kneading is sufficient. No stand mixer or food processor is needed.
Yes β maple syrup, barley malt syrup, or rice malt syrup all work in the same quantity and each adds its own subtle flavour to the bread. Pure maple syrup produces a slightly lighter, more neutral sweetness; barley malt syrup (common in commercial rye breads) gives a more roasted, darker note.
Per serving Β· 8 servings total
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