Einkorn Sourdough Bread

Einkorn sourdough bread has a wonderfully fluffy, chewy interior and a satisfying, crusty exterior. This ancient wheat bakes the most amazing loaf of sourdough bread, with an added bonus of easier digestion.

Over the last six months or so, I’ve been working on converting the majority of our baked goods to einkorn flour. 

Anytime I can’t ferment a baked good (like in chocolate chip coconut cookies), einkorn flour comes in handy. It is the world’s oldest heirloom wheat that hasn’t been hybridized.

Not only is it healthier, because it has more bio-available nutrients like folate, but it is much easier to digest. Some gluten sensitive people find that they can tolerate einkorn, even though it contains gluten. 

I set out to create the perfect loaf of sourdough einkorn bread, and after a few tweaks, it comes out just right every time.

If you are new to sourdough, you can find how to create a sourdough starter here. 

This recipe couldn’t be simpler, and is ideal for beginners. Just mix up, ferment, bake. No kneading or confusing steps. 

Including grinding the wheat berries, making this bread will take 10-15 minutes of hands-on time.

Pair it with some cheese burger or roasted red pepper and tomato soup for a delicious and comforting meal.

Tips:

• To ensure your bread is 100% einkorn, start your sourdough starter with einkorn flour, or convert your current starter to einkorn flour. 
• Working with einkorn flour is different from conventional wheat. It yields a much stickier dough and can be tricky to shape. You can make this in a loaf pan or a dutch oven. A loaf pan makes perfect einkorn sandwich bread, whereas the dutch oven will yield a crusty loaf.
• When using a sourdough starter, it is recommended to use filtered water (this is my favorite way to filter water). Some water may contain too much chlorine, which can kill the beneficial bacteria and yeast.

I don’t have an einkorn sourdough starter, can I still make this?

Yes, you can use a regular wheat sourdough starter without issue. 

How do you convert your wheat sourdough starter to an einkorn starter?

If you want to make this bread 100% einkorn, convert your starter to an einkorn starter by feeding it with einkorn flour for a few days. By the fifth feeding, your starter will be around 96% einkorn flour.

How do you know your sourdough starter is ready?

To make a delicious loaf of bread, you need to use a nice, active starter. Feed your starter 4-12 hours before creating the dough. It is usually ready when it has doubled or tripled in size. 

Take a spoonful of your active starter and drop it into a cup of water. If it floats, then it is ready to use for bread.

How long does sourdough bread last?

Allow sourdough bread to cool completely before storing. Place in a bread box, an air-tight container, or a plastic zip-lock bag and store at room temperature. It will stay good for 4-5 days, if it’s not all gone by then!  

You can also store bread in the freezer for a few months.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Tools you may need:

Grain mill (optional) – I love my Nutri-mill.

Stand Mixer

Banneton

Measuring cups

Dutch oven or loaf pan

How To Make Einkorn Sourdough Bread

1. Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting your dough.
2. Once your starter is nice and active (lots of bubbles), grind einkorn berries, if needed. Skip this step if you have pre-ground flour.
3. Add 5 cups of flour to a stand mixer bowl. 
4. Add sourdough starter, salt, and water to the flour and mix, using the dough hook, until it comes together. Shape loaf with hands. Place it in a banneton basket. 
   • If you do not have a banneton basket, you could use a piece of parchment paper. Place the dough on the parchment paper, place in a bowl, and cover to rise.
5. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 2-4 hours, depending on the temperature of your home. 
6. Preheat the oven to 450.
7. Place dutch oven in the oven and preheat for 30 minutes to an hour.
8. Once the dutch oven has preheated, place the dough into dutch oven, cover with lid, and place in the hot oven.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes with the lid. 
10. Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown. 
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.

How To Make Einkorn Sourdough Bread Loaf

Mix together the dough as previously stated.

Shape loaf with hands and put in a greased loaf pan; allow to rise until doubled in size. This will take around 2-4 hours.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Find More Sourdough Recipes Straight From Our Farmhouse Kitchen

• Sourdough Rye Bread
• Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
• Oven-Fried Chicken With Sourdough Crust
• Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

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