Spelt has a nuttier, slightly sweeter character than whole wheat, and it plays well with a little honey. Its gluten is more fragile than modern bread wheat, so this loaf gets a gentler hand throughout and a shorter bulk. The reward is a tender, golden crumb that tastes like something worth waiting for.
Mix the bread flour, spelt flour, 345g water, and honey until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest 45 minutes.
Add the starter and the salt dissolved in the remaining 25g water. Mix gently for 2 minutes. Spelt dough tears more easily than wheat dough, so handle it with a lighter touch than you would a regular loaf. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Do three gentle sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart. Pull less forcefully than usual. Spelt doesn't need, or want, aggressive handling.
Let the dough rise at 75°F for 2 to 3 more hours. Spelt ferments faster than wheat, so check it earlier than you would a country loaf, around the point where it's grown by about half, domed and jiggly. Don't let it run long. In a hot kitchen this can move even faster, so check at the 90-minute mark the first time you bake this one.
Turn the dough out gently and pre-shape into a round, handling it more like a soft ball of dough than a taut one. Rest, uncovered, 20 minutes.
Shape into a boule, being gentle with the surface tension since spelt tears if you pull too hard. Place seam-side up in a rice-floured banneton, cover, and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, no longer, since spelt can overproof even cold.
Heat your Dutch oven at 500°F for 45 to 60 minutes. Score the cold dough, bake covered 20 minutes at 500°F, then uncovered at 450°F for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden. Spelt colors a little faster than a standard loaf, so check it a few minutes early the first time. Cool at least an hour before slicing.
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