Ok, first of all, don’t give up! I had quite the adventure figuring out how to make this recipe work for me. Einkorn is a little different. I get it. It’s SO worth it! There’s a learning curve. Second, time and measurments are more about consistency than exactness. The truth is, I can’t tell you exactly how long this bread takes. It could be six hours; it could be twelve. It depends on a lot of variables.If you feel like your dough is taking a lifetime to rise, you’re probably not alone. So before you swear off natural leavening forever, please watch for my follow up post with tips about natural leavening. Although I can’t tell you exactly how to make it turn out perfectly the first time, I can give you some tips that may help minimize failures. So, let me tell you some of the things I learned on my fabulous adventure through the land of naturally leavened einkorn bread.Be sure to print the full sourdough recipe here.
The Perfect “Start”, Ready to Add to Bread Dough
Start – It’s all about that start! If the start isn’t right, you’re going to have trouble with the whole thing. For the perfect einkorn sourdough start, go here. It should look like this:
Water – This recipe may call for less water than you would think. Remember that einkorn is a very moist grain. Too much water will ruin it. So resist your instinct to overide the recipe in this one thing. Also, make sure the water is as hot as tap water can get. That way it will melt the coconut oil. Plus, adding all the other things will cool it down, and it still needs to be slightly warm for fermentation purposes.
Rising – You might be thinking, “I’m sorry, how many times does one batch of bread need to rise?” I know, I know. But, I found that this is the best way. We noticed that the start alone didn’t quite have the strength to raise the entire batch. So, we add half the flour and let it culture for a while (until it looks like a rootbeer float). Then add the remainder of the flour one cup at a time while mixing and it will have the power to rise like it should (double its size).
Dough In Bowl, Before Rising Risen Dough, Doubled in Size
Dough – The flour measurement is approximate. Add enough flour so that the dough pulls away from the sides and is soft but not sticky. It’s more important than ever to get the consistency right as soon as possible and STOP. Overkneading einkorn dough is bad news. It will be extremely difficult to get out of the mixing bowl. Also, when the dough has been placed in the bowl to rise, don’t forget to punch it down. That’s more important for fluffy bread than you’d think.
Close Up On “Spongy” Dough After Removing From Bowl
Salt – It’s better to add the salt with the second half of flour. Salt kills yeast. It’s ok when the dough is stiff, but it could be a slight hindrance in dough with only half the flour.
Loaves – This recipe makes about five loaves. You need to shape them, make three slitd in the top of each, and place in greased loaf pans.They look pretty, but the slits aren’t just for aesthetics. If you fail to make the slit, the bread will make its own and the top crust will separate from the bottom – not as pretty.
Golden Brown, Baking CompleteTime To Eat! So, there you are! Experiment, follow these steps, and expect success! It will be so rewarding when you master this. Happy dances are allowed. Deliciousness, digestion-friendly grain and leavening, better nutrient absorption. Is there a downside to this? There isn’t actually.
Ingredients
SCALE
4cupHot Tap Water
18cupEinkorn FlourApproximate
1/3cupCoconut OilOr butter
1/2cupHoney
3tablespoonReal Salt
2cupSourdough StartApproximate
Instructions
1. Mix water, oil, honey, and 1/2 the flour in a bowl.The Perfect "Start", Ready to Add to Bread Dough2. Add start (You should have previously fed the start with 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of water)3. Let rest until it begins to get bubbly (May take a couple hours, should resemble a rootbeer float...but probably not taste like one)4. Add salt and the remaining flour until it doesn't stick to your fingers and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (DO NOT over-knead it. It becomes extremely difficult to work with). You may not add all of the remaining flour or you may add more. It's all about the consistency.5. Transfer it to a bowl (Preferably glass or stainless steel), punch down, cover and leave to rise in a warm place (I recommend a slightly warm oven or my personal favorite, a wonder oven). Leave it until it doubles in size (several hours).Dough In Bowl, Before RisingRisen Dough, Doubled in SizeClose Up On "Spongy" Dough After Removing From Bowl6. Shape into 5 loaves about as long as a large orange juice can. Make three slits in the top of each loaf. Place into greased bread pans.7. Let loaves rise in oven until they double in size.Shaped Loaves, Ready to RiseRisen Loaves, Ready to Bake
8. When they have risen, leave them in oven and preheat it to 350° (with the loaves still in the oven). Preheating plus baking time should equal about 38 minutes depending on your oven.9. When they are golden brown, remove and brush coconut oil (or butter) on top.10. Enjoy!Golden Brown, Baking CompleteTime To Eat!
For a more detailed explanation go here.To see all the other things you can do with this awesome recipe, go here.
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Reviews
65 thoughts on “Naturally Leavened (Sourdough) Einkorn Bread”
Lore
This is by far the best bread I have eaten in years and I love bread. I have other sourdoughs in my fridge but the start-up of the starter for einkorn was really different from the rest and now I see ways to improve the others. My daughters turned me on to einkorn and I am not sure I will ever go back. I find that eating products made with it makes my digestive track happier. Not sure why but its working and I am not complaining. Yay!
Hi Theresa, yes you can do it without honey. I’m not sure what it will do. The honey is there because the natural yeast feeds on it to grow, so I’m not sure what taking it out will do to the rise, but we’d love to hear how it goes.
Hi, I have a gluten sensitivity and want to try this flour… i’d like to have some good bread! I have no experience whatsoever, though, with sourdough. Or Einkorn flour, for that matter. I would think the sourdough would help me digest better, but should I be starting with a regular Einkorn recipe instead?
Thanks
Hi Karen, there is a learning curve with einkorn in general. It may be helpful to start with yeast recipes and transition to sourdough as you get the hang of it, but it’s of course up to you. I’d be happy to help if you have any questions along the way.
Karen – I do not have wheat sensitivities but since I have been eating sourdough einkorn my digestive track is much happier. Be patient with the start-up process for the sourdough starter. Mine took 11 days to finally reach true sourdough happiness.
I am on day 3 of making my first Einkorn sourdough starter from freshly grinding the berries I ordered from you. While planning ahead for what recipe I am going to make first, I noticed you have listed additional recipes based on this one. May I ask how you roll out the dough for pizza after step 5 if it is so spongy; I do not want to add additional flour and make the dough dry. Thanks again for your wonderful products!!
Hi Karen, we don’t add more flour. We haven’t noticed a problem with it being too spongy. Rolling it out punches it down and it ends up being great for pizza.
Dough In Bowl, Before Rising 
Close Up On “Spongy” Dough After Removing From Bowl
Golden Brown, Baking Complete 
Time To Eat!
![IMG_1212[1]](https://www.einkorn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_12121-608x456.jpg)
65 thoughts on “Naturally Leavened (Sourdough) Einkorn Bread”
This is by far the best bread I have eaten in years and I love bread. I have other sourdoughs in my fridge but the start-up of the starter for einkorn was really different from the rest and now I see ways to improve the others. My daughters turned me on to einkorn and I am not sure I will ever go back. I find that eating products made with it makes my digestive track happier. Not sure why but its working and I am not complaining. Yay!
Good Afternoon,
Can this bread be made without the honey ? I realize it is just a small amount added for the size of the recipe but was wondering what you think.
Thanks so much,
Theresa
Hi Theresa, yes you can do it without honey. I’m not sure what it will do. The honey is there because the natural yeast feeds on it to grow, so I’m not sure what taking it out will do to the rise, but we’d love to hear how it goes.
Hi, I have a gluten sensitivity and want to try this flour… i’d like to have some good bread! I have no experience whatsoever, though, with sourdough. Or Einkorn flour, for that matter. I would think the sourdough would help me digest better, but should I be starting with a regular Einkorn recipe instead?
Thanks
Hi Karen, there is a learning curve with einkorn in general. It may be helpful to start with yeast recipes and transition to sourdough as you get the hang of it, but it’s of course up to you. I’d be happy to help if you have any questions along the way.
Karen – I do not have wheat sensitivities but since I have been eating sourdough einkorn my digestive track is much happier. Be patient with the start-up process for the sourdough starter. Mine took 11 days to finally reach true sourdough happiness.
I am on day 3 of making my first Einkorn sourdough starter from freshly grinding the berries I ordered from you. While planning ahead for what recipe I am going to make first, I noticed you have listed additional recipes based on this one. May I ask how you roll out the dough for pizza after step 5 if it is so spongy; I do not want to add additional flour and make the dough dry. Thanks again for your wonderful products!!
Hi Karen, we don’t add more flour. We haven’t noticed a problem with it being too spongy. Rolling it out punches it down and it ends up being great for pizza.