What is Gluten, Really?
Before I can go into my experience working beyond wheat, I think we need to take a moment to discuss the most important protein in bread baking: gluten.
When you picture gluten, you might think of stretchy dough, windowpane tests, and chewy bread. That’s not wrong, but it’s not the full picture either. Gluten doesn’t look or behave the same in every grain. In fact, each grain builds its own unique structure. Those different gluten structures allow each grain to behave differently, giving them each their own specific baking properties. Understanding those differences isn’t just food science trivia; it’s the key to unlocking bread that works with the grain, rather than fighting against it.
What Does Gluten Look Like?
Gluten is a protein network formed when water meets certain grain flours, specifically the proteins gliadin and glutenin. The way those proteins bond determines how elastic, extensible, or delicate the dough will be.
Think of gluten like building materials: some grains make steel cables, others make silk threads. Both can be beautiful, but they need different handling to shine.
A Spectrum of Structures
Wheat – The “classic” grain for bread baking. Balanced elasticity (stretch) and extensibility (ability to hold shape). Creates strong, bouncy dough that can handle long fermentation and high hydration.
Spelt – More fragile gluten bonds. Less elastic than wheat and quick to overdevelop. Can produce wonderfully tender, open crumbs. But push it too far, and the structure collapses.
Rye – Very low gluten-forming proteins. Structure relies more on pentosans, which hold water and give rye bread its dense but moist texture. Doesn’t behave like wheat at all. That’s part of the charm!
Einkorn – Ancient and nutrient-rich, but its gluten is weak and sticky. Hydrates quickly, doesn’t stretch much, and benefits from gentle shaping.
Barley / Oats – Almost no gluten. Great for flavor and nutrition when blended with higher-gluten flours, but won’t form a strong bread structure on their own.
Why This Matters in the Kitchen
Strong gluten can trap more gas, giving you tall, airy loaves. Weak gluten produces breads that are lower and denser, but also softer and more tender.
This is why you can’t treat every grain like wheat.
A long, aggressive knead that works for strong bread flour can destroy delicate spelt dough.
High hydration that benefits a wheat loaf might cause einkorn to spread into a flat pancake.
Rye needs fermentation and shaping strategies that respect its unique chemistry and wildly different gluten structure.
When you understand the structure you’re working with, you can tailor your technique. And just like that, instead of “failing,” you’re collaborating with the grain.
How I Learned This (My Spelt Journey)
Lately, I’ve been working almost exclusively with spelt. At first, I kept treating it like wheat: long kneads, cold overnight ferments, and high hydrations. And at first… I kept getting flat loaves and tight crumbs.
It wasn’t until I started respecting spelt’s delicate gluten that things shifted. Shorter mixing. Slightly lower hydration. Warm but not too warm fermentation. Now, I’m pulling more open, tender crumb loaves from the oven and marveling at how much character this grain has when it’s allowed to just be itself.
I’m still learning, and still listening to the grain. I have a long way to go until I truly know what spelt needs to thrive. Unlike wheat, spelt creates a delicate, almost custardy interior crumb.
No, it’s not pudding in the middle, but it does melt in your mouth. It has much less chew to it than wheat. I
ts crumb structure is often much more uniform, with smaller fermentation holes due to its higher gliadin to glutenin ratio (meaning, it’s not nearly as elastic as wheat). It has its own movements, its own rhythm, its own personal tells.
While spelt is the most “wheat-like” of ancient grains in how it behaves, it certainly is not wheat. Taking the time to listen to what it needs made all the difference for me.
The Takeaway
Gluten is not a one-size-fits-all protein structure. Each grain has it’s own unique network of protein bonds, made up of glutenin and gliadin.
Once you start recognizing how gluten behaves in different grains, you stop fighting your dough and start collaborating with it. And that’s when the magic happens.
