Einkorn Sourdough Bread

An einkorn sourdough boule in a dutch oven fresh out of the oven.

4.52 from 181 votes

Einkorn sourdough bread makes the most delicious bread. A wonderful fluffy, chewy interior and a satisfying, crusty exterior.

Prep Time1 20

Cook Time45

Additional Time15

Total Time17 5

Course: Sourdough

Cuisine: American

Keyword: einkorn sourdough bread, sourdough bread, sourdough einkorn bread

Servings: Servings

Author: Lisa Bass

Equipment

1 Dutch Oven

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose einkorn flour 390 grams
1 cup whole grain einkorn flour 130 grams
1 ½ teaspoons salt 8 grams
1 ¼ cups water 295 grams
1 cup sourdough starter 200 grams

Instructions

Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting your dough. You will know when your sourdough starter is ready once it is bubbly and active. Combine all-purpose einkorn flour, whole grain einkorn flour, salt, water, and sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Begin a series of stretch and folds to work the dough. Grab one edge of the dough in the bowl and stretch it upwards about six inches. Fold the dough back into the center and press. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process two to three more times to complete one round of stretch and folds. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
After the 20 minute rest, continue with a second round of stretch and folds, cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
Perform the final round of stretch and folds, finishing by covering the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 3-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your home.
After doubling in size, place the dough on a flour-dusted work surface. Shape the dough by gently rolling it toward you. Then, place your dough smooth side down. Fold the two sides over to meet in the middle, and pinch together. Repeat on the other two sides.
Place the shaped dough in a floured banneton basket or bowl lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight. I usually put the proofing basket into a plastic grocery bag and tie it shut to help keep it more air-tight.

THE NEXT DAY

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing the Dutch oven to preheat for 30 minutes to an hour. Once the Dutch oven has preheated, take the dough out of the fridge and place it onto a sheet of parchment paper.
Score the top of the dough and gently place the parchment paper and dough into the Dutch oven, cover with the lid, and place in the hot oven.
Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.
Place the boule on a wire rack and cool completely before slicing. Serve toasted or room temperature with homemade butter.

Notes

If milling your own flour, grind it fresh when needed for the most nutritious and flavorful flour.
If you want to ensure your bread is 100% einkorn, start your sourdough starter with einkorn flour, or convert your current starter to einkorn flour.
Einkorn dough tends to be much stickier than regular bread dough. I like to use dampened hands and a bench scraper to combat this without having to add extra flour.
When using a sourdough starter, it is recommended to use filtered water. Some water may contain too much chlorine, which can kill the beneficial bacteria and yeast in your starter. I use a Boroux water filter for the best quality of water.
For the best rise and the perfect texture, I incorporated a stretch and fold process like my no-knead sourdough bread to work the dough.
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.
Set the dough in a warm place to facilitate a speedier rise.
I like to use both whole-grain einkorn flour and all-purpose einkorn flour. I found this combination to be best for a soft and structured crumb. You can substitute the whole grain einkorn for more all-purpose flour if that is what you have on hand.

If you are using freshly milled grains for this recipe, I recommend weighing the flour instead of using volume measurements. Grain mills vary greatly - some create very fine and fluffy flour, while others are a little more coarse. This makes volume measurements unpredictable. Using a kitchen scale and calculating the grams is much more reliable, ensuring you end up with a delicious end product.

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