Wholemeal Spelt Seaside Sourdough Starter

A gentler wholegrain character

Our Wholemeal Spelt Seaside Starter brings the mild sweetness and subtle nuttiness of spelt to your sourdough baking.

Use it to make full spelt loaves or combine it with strong white flour for lighter bread with added flavour. It also works well in rolls, focaccia, pizza and other naturally fermented bakes.

The starter arrives dried, ready to wake when you want to begin.

Why choose wholemeal spelt?

• Mild, slightly sweet and nutty character

• Made with wholemeal spelt flour

• Suitable for spelt and mixed-flour recipes

• A good choice for lighter wholegrain baking

• Can also be used in standard wheat-based sourdough recipes

• Supplied dried for convenient storage and delivery

• Clear waking and feeding guidance included

• Prepared and packed by hand in Sussex

Spelt is an ancient variety of wheat. It contains gluten and is not suitable for people with coeliac disease or a wheat allergy.

Why is it supplied dried?

Your 40g starter is carefully dried so it can travel safely and wait until you are ready to begin.

It requires no refrigeration before use and is suitable for UK and international delivery. Once woken with spelt flour and water, it becomes an active culture that can be fed, stored and baked with for years.

Allow several feeds for the starter to strengthen before using it in bread dough. Room temperature and feeding routine will affect how quickly it becomes ready.

What’s included

• 40g dried Wholemeal Spelt Seaside Starter – enough to establish and maintain your own active culture

• Starter-care postcard – includes a QR code linking to the complete waking, feeding and storage guide

• Online beginner guidance – practical help from the first feed through to baking

• Sourdough recipe collection – ideas for spelt, wholegrain and mixed-flour baking

• Friendly baking support – contact us if your starter does not look or behave as expected

A jar, feeding flour and bread-making ingredients are not included.

From pouch to first loaf

1. Wake

Mix the dried culture with wholemeal spelt flour and water, following the quantities in the care guide.

2. Feed

Continue feeding at room temperature until the starter becomes bubbly and rises predictably after feeding.

For the most consistent beginning, use wholemeal spelt flour for the initial feeds.

3. Bake

Use a portion of the active starter in your dough. It can be used in full spelt recipes or combined with strong white flour for a lighter loaf.

Spelt has a more delicate gluten structure than modern bread wheat. Spelt dough can become slack if it is overmixed or given too much water, so handle it gently and adjust hydration when needed.

4. Store

Keep the remaining culture in the fridge between bakes. Refresh it with flour and water before you next want to use it.

Ingredients and allergens

Ingredients: wholemeal spelt flour and filtered water.

Allergen information: contains spelt, wheat and gluten. Prepared in a kitchen that also handles rye, sesame, nuts, soya and eggs and may contain traces of these allergens.

This starter is not suitable for anyone with coeliac disease or a spelt, wheat or gluten allergy. If you have another food allergy, please contact us before ordering.

The starter culture contains no animal-derived ingredients and is suitable for vegan diets.

Bake with us

Your first spelt loaf is only the beginning.

Follow Sourdough by the Sea for clear recipes, feeding advice and practical support from fellow home bakers.

Share your bakes using #SourdoughByTheSea—we’d love to see what you make.