Einkorn Sourdough

About this recipe

Einkorn is the oldest cultivated wheat — older than emmer, far older than modern bread wheat. Its kernels are tiny, its protein is high, but its gluten structure is fundamentally different: weak, fragile, and incapable of the long elastic windowpane modern doughs are famous for. Bakers who treat einkorn like modern wheat end up with sticky pancakes that collapse in the oven. The trick is to do less. Lower the hydration to 65%, mix briefly, fold gently, and finish bulk earlier than feels right. Einkorn dough should look slightly under-fermented when you shape it. The wild yeast will catch up during the cold retard. This recipe is designed for fresh milled einkorn berries specifically. Pre-ground einkorn flour you buy at the store has already lost some of the sweet grassy notes that make this loaf magical. Mill on a medium setting; finer flour absorbs too much water and dramatically increases stickiness. Expect a flat-ish boule. Einkorn does not bloom like hard white wheat. What it gives you in exchange is the most complex flavor profile of any single grain bread — honeyed, almost buttery, with a soft golden crumb that beginners often mistake for cake. Toast it the next day, drag it through olive oil, and you will understand why ancient bakers stuck with this grain for ten thousand years.

Ingredients

• Freshly milled einkorn flour500 g
• Water (85°F / 29°C)325 g
• Active 100% hydration sourdough starter (einkorn-fed if possible)100 g
• Fine sea salt10 g

Instructions

1. 1

   Feed your starter the night before with einkorn flour if possible — it will be more vigorous on the same grain.

2. 2

   Mill einkorn berries on a medium setting. Avoid fine: einkorn is very absorbent and a fine grind will make the dough unmanageably sticky.

3. 3

   Whisk water and flour together in a bowl until no dry spots remain. Rest 30 minutes (a shorter autolyse than wheat — einkorn hydrates fast).

4. 4

   Add starter and salt. Mix gently by hand for 1 minute until fully incorporated. Do not knead aggressively — you will tear einkorn's fragile gluten.

5. 5

   Cover and rest 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Perform 2 sets of gentle stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart. Wet your hand and lift the dough just enough to fold once over itself. No vigorous stretching.

7. 7

   Bulk ferment at 76°F until the dough has risen about 30–40% — significantly less than wheat. Look for a few surface bubbles and a soft jiggle. Total time is typically 3.5–5 hours.

8. 8

   Turn out gently onto a barely floured counter. Pre-shape with light hands into a loose round. Rest 15 minutes.

9. 9

   Shape into a boule by folding the edges into the center and flipping seam-side down. Do not work the dough — einkorn loses structure fast.

10. 10

    Place seam-side up in a rice-floured banneton. Cover and refrigerate 8–12 hours (shorter than wheat retards).

11. 11

    Preheat oven and Dutch oven to 475°F (245°C) for 45 minutes.

12. 12

    Turn the cold loaf onto parchment and score a single shallow slash. Bake covered at 475°F for 20 minutes.

13. 13

    Uncover, reduce to 425°F (220°C), and bake 20–25 more minutes until the crust is deep golden brown (internal 200°F / 93°C).

14. 14

    Cool on a rack at least 2 hours. Einkorn crumb continues to set for longer than wheat.