Baking with ancient grains can be tricky, especially since they tend to have a lower gluten content than modern wheat. This means there is definitely a learning curve when switching to ancient grains such as einkorn. But, this einkorn sourdough bread is a no-fail recipe, and only takes a few minutes of hands-on time to make!

Supplies

Measuring cups and spoons: I use these measuring cups and these measuring spoons.
Bowls: I use my glass bowl set.
Spatula: I use a silicone spatula.
Bread Pan: I use a glass bread pan.
Cooling Rack: I use a cooling rack to prevent the bread from getting soggy while cooling.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup sourdough starter (I have used active or sometimes even discard)
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sweetener of choice (I like 2 tbsp. honey and 1 tbsp. granulated sugar)
1 1/2 cup einkorn all-purpose flour (or other all-purpose flour)
1 3/4 cup einkorn whole wheat flour (or fresh-milled einkorn flour)
1/4 cup softened butter
1 tbsp. melted butter for brushing on top

Directions for Einkorn Sourdough Bread

In a large bowl, stir together the water, sourdough starter, salt, and sweetener of choice. Add in the flour, and stir until combined. It will be a pretty wet dough.

Add in the softened butter, and use your hands to incorporate it. Tip: When working with a wet dough like this, be sure to wet your hands beforehand to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.

Cover, and allow to rest for about an hour.

Perform some stretch-and-folds. To do this with such a hydrated dough, it’s easiest to grab the right and left side of the dough, lift it completely in the air, and then set it back down. Rotate the bowl and repeat several times.

Cover, and allow to sit 8-12 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and thoroughly butter a bread pan to prevent sticking.

Wet hands, and perform similar stretch-and-folds as before to create tension in the dough. Removing all of the built up air bubbles will prevent large gaping holes in your bread once baked.

Transfer to the buttered bread pan, seam side down.

For the fluffiest bread, do an optional 1-2 hour rise here.

Brush the top with half of the melted tbsp. butter, and bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until cooked through (200 degrees F internal) and golden brown, rotating halfway through baking.

Transfer to a cooling rack, and brush on remaining melted butter. Once completely cool, cut into 16 equal slices. (Best bread knife here!)

Substitutions

For an all-whole-wheat recipe (or all fresh-milled), use a total of 3 cups of flour in place of all flour that the recipe calls for.
You can substitute any oil for the butter if desired at a 1:1 ratio.
You can use any sweetener of choice, including maple syrup. Or, you may skip the sweetener completely.

Does einkorn sourdough bread freeze well?

Yes! If you thoroughly wrap it to prevent freezer-burn, this bread will freeze well for up to several months. Simply remove from freezer and let sit at room temperature for a few hours to thaw.

Can I use other types of flour?

Absolutely! You can use all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, ancient grains, and more. For all-purpose flours, you may need to use a bit more flour than the recipe calls for. To make it all whole-wheat, you may need to use a bit less. Just try it and feel the dough! It will be a sloppy mess at first, but it eventually comes together into a beautiful (but still very hydrated) dough.

Can I use all fresh-milled flour?

Yes, you can absolutely use all fresh-milled flour! You may need to experiment slightly with the flour ratios. I recommend starting with 3 cups of milled flour, and then increasing from there if needed.

Remember that fresh-milled flour takes longer to absorb the water, so you want to leave the dough a bit wetter than you may initially think.

What is einkorn?

Einkorn wheat is an ancient grain that has not been changed, hybridized, or modernized. This means that its flavor, and most importantly its health benefits, remain uncompromised the way that God made it to be. It’s different than modern wheat, but that is a beautiful thing. There is just a learning curve at first when all you’ve ever baked with is modern wheat! It’s worth the hassle to learn though, because the flavor and health benefits are unmatched.