Pain au levain with spelt flour

If you do a quick search about the health benefits of spelt you are going to want it added into your breads. It seems like a wonderful grain: full of vitamins, better absorbed by the body than regular wheat and so on. Seduced by its wonders, I made a sourdough recipe with spelt flour and decided to take advantage of the different flours I used and make them show their flavors. I made it with a long bulk fermentation and retarded it overnight in the refrigerator. Therefore, I gave it time to develop all the wonderful flavors that came with long fermentation and patience. The bread was wonderful!
The dough was enough to make two 771g batards or boules. 
I took one of the loafs to the cooking club that I sometimes frequent on Mondays.  Everyone that tried couldn't stop eating the bread. I was happy to have so many people  loving my bread and that wanting to Eat Bread With Me.

Total Ingredients:

Levain:

85 g of Water (room temperature)  
45 g of Levain
45 g of Sprouted Flour or Whole Wheat
40 g of Spelt Flour
Total 215 g

Final Dough: 

580 g of Water (87ºF)
180 g of Levain (the rest, 35g, I used to make a pizza crust)
485 g of White Bread Flour
200 g of Sprouted whole wheat flour or regular Whole Wheat*
  80 g of Spelt Flour
  17 g of Salt
Total 1542 g
* If using regular whole wheat may need to reduce water.

Method:  

Mix levain ingredients until well incorporated and let it rest covered overnight or about 6-12 hours; until very active. I noticed a lot of activity with the spelt flour. I started mine at night. 

 Photo above shows very active levain.

The next day, your levain ingredients should be very active, so you can continue the process:

In a separate bowl mix 580 g of water, 80g of spelt, 200g of sprouted flour and 485 g of white flour. Cover and let it rest (autolyse) for 40 minutes.

After 40 min, mix levain, autolyse ingredients and salt together. (photo below)

 Mix by hand for 6 minutes or about 4 by mixer.The dough was very sooth and silky. Let it rest 30 minutes covered.

Photo below shows dough resting.

 Then, do the first stretch and fold and then repeat 2 more times about 30 minutes apart. After the last stretch and fold, let it rest covered for 8 hours. It will be very active.

Photo below: dough before dividing

Photo below shows dough resting

  

Divide the dough, pre-shape, rest 20 minutes. Do the final shape, proof covered with plastic for 30-45 minutes and then retard in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours. I put mine in the refrigerator 8 pm to bake next day at 7:30 am. 

Remove from refrigerator as you set your oven to 500ºF and leave the dough at room temperature for about 45 minutes while you oven warms up. 
Score you dough and bake with steam for 16 minutes at 450ºF. Remove steam, rotate bread and continue baking for another 13 minutes at 425ºF or until golden brown.