Spelt Flour vs. White Flour

Spelt flour comes from an ancient type of wheat that contains gluten. Commonly used white flour or all-purpose white flour is wheat flour from which the bran and germ have been removed.

Spelt Flour

Individuals who are allergic to wheat can generally eat spelt without reacting to it, according to Food.com. Because spelt has gluten, it's appropriate for breadmaking. However, the gluten is more fragile than in other wheat flours, according to BakingBites.com.

White Flour

White flour is appropriate for many baking uses, including bread. White flour consists of different varieties of wheat that are ground and mixed together. The flour must be enriched to replace nutrients that are lost during processing.

Kneading

Spelt flour is heavier than white flour and has a nutty taste. But unlike regular wheat gluten, which is quite resilient, spelt gluten is weaker, so spelt flour should be kneaded for a shorter time so as not to break down the gluten, which might result in a crumbly product.

References

• Baking Bites: What is spelt flour?
• Scripps Networks: Kitchen Dictionary
• Metro Richelieu: White Flour