Whole Grain Einkorn Sourdough Bread

If you are now eating einkorn because of a sensitivity to modern wheat, we strongly recommend baking einkorn bread at home with a sourdough starter. The bacterial enzymes that are formed in sourdough break down the protein or gluten in wheat. The combination of einkorn and sourdough will not only give you nature’s most digestible bread, it will also reward your efforts with superior flavor. If you do not have a sourdough starter, you can find out how to make one here.

SOURDOUGH LEVAIN INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium glass bowl dissolve starter in water.
2. Beat in flour with a fork, pressing and mixing until the flour and water have mixed together completely.
3. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 8-12 hours in a dark place.

BREAD INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix together flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add warm water to the levain to loosen, then pour over the flour.
3. Mix all of the ingredients together with a stiff spatula or an Einkorn Kneading Tool until the flour is mixed well, forming a wet and sticky ball of dough. Let rise in a covered bowl in a dark place.
4. If your sourdough is new, you should turn the dough three times the first hour every twenty minutes to help the leavening get started.
5. If your sourdough is mature, you can turn the dough just once after the first hour.
6. You can turn the dough right in the mixing bowl by flattening, then folding each of the flour sides over like you are making an envelope. Then use a little more flour to form a ball.
7. Let dough rise a total of three hours before forming the loaf. The dough does not double in size. In the summertime, when the temperature is above 70, we only let the dough rise for two hours.
8. Shape your loaf and put it in a loaf pan or proofing basket to rise for 1 hour before baking in preheated oven at 425ºF for 40 minutes, rotating the loaf after 20 minutes of baking. Again, use your best judgement for the proofing times. If your starter is not mature, this step might be a little longer. If it is warm summer day, 30-45 minutes might be all you need. Let cool for one hour before slicing.

This einkorn sourdough loaf is light, soft and has a nice thin crust. Using asourdough starter and einkorn wheat gives you a delicious loaf of bread that is easy to digest.