The same analytical methods are used for milled spelt products as for milled wheat products. However, the dough and baking properties of spelt are often different to what the flour reference figures suggest. The correlation between the results of the flour analysis methods and the baking results is not the same for spelt as compared to wheat.
Scientists have looked into this topic and compared different varieties of spelt in an elaborate study. Different old and new spelt varieties were grown at three locations and analysed using standard laboratory tests such as farinograph, extensograph, alveograph, sedimentation value, protein content and wet gluten content. Furthermore, baking tests were carried out to determine the correlation between the volume of the baked goods and the analysis methods. The aim was to identify the methods that can best characterise the baking properties.
It was found that crude protein content and wet gluten content correlate only very slightly with baking volume. According to the study, the sedimentation value and the energy value after 90 minutes in the extensogram are supposed to be more suitable to estimate the expected volume of baked goods. (PD Dr Friedrich Longin and M. Sc Matthias Rapp, Landessaatzuchtanstalt der Universität Hohenheim (State Plant Breeding Institute of the University of Hohenheim).
The publications of the studies by the Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft also show that wet gluten content does not correlate with the volume of baked goods. High wet gluten contents do not necessarily lead to large baked goods volumes (Bayerische Landesanstalt für Landwirtschaft 2022).