Unauthorized GMO Wheat Discovered in Oregon

In the past week, our family has enjoyed several beautiful and delicious einkorn foods, including bread, tortillas, muffins, pancakes, waffles, and pie (crust). With each delicious food, I am reminded of the unique qualities of this dandy farro piccolo.

The first reminder comes about 2 minutes after the first bite. I don’t get the saliva drench and I don’t feel Continue reading

Slow Rise Einkorn Bread

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This slow rise einkorn bread is really quite a treat. Is there anything quite like an artisan bread that has slowly developed flavors, with a hard crust and chewy middle? No, no there really isn’t. The key to the beautiful crust is a dutch oven. The heavy pot with the tight lid that seals on top simulates a professional bread oven circulating the stem back upon itself. It’s as close as we will get to the real thing here at home.

1. Proof 1/2 tsp of  yeast in the warm water. I tend to go a little on the hotter side, as long as you don’t go over 110 degrees you are ok.

2. Sift 5 Cups of Einkorn flour, 1/2 tsp sea salt, and 1/3 c powdered milk together.

3. Add the water/yeast mixture into your dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. The dough will be fairly sticky.

4. Scrape the sides of your bowl down to incorporate then cover with plastic wrap.

5. Let it rise for 14 hours in a dark place.  The slow rise develops volume and flavor at the same time.

6. After 14 hours preheat your oven to 500 with the dutch oven AND lid in the middle of your oven. This dutch oven is the key to the artisan type of bread.

7. Turn your dough out onto a floured surface. Don’t work the dough too much. I fold each side of the dough inward like an envelope to create some more pockets of air.

8.  Once your oven is preheated, place your loaf into the dutch oven, place the lid on it and close your oven. Do this as quick as possible so you do not lose your heat.

9. Bake for 35 minutes, take the lid off and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

10. Cool on a rack until completely cool.

11. Enjoy!

(For a more detailed version of this recipe go, HERE)

slow rise

 

Can Einkorn Save Us From Stem Rust?

Stem_rust_close_upOverseas scientists are desperate. A type of stem rust is threatening a most crucial cereal crop. This isn’t just any kind of fungus. It’s Ug99, or Stem Rust. This fungus climbs up the stems of wheat and within a matter of weeks, brings the wheat to it’s knees in a tangled black mess on the ground. The scary part of the fungus is that it travels by wind.

Stem rust has been around a long time.  In fact Rome (384 – 322 B.C.) had a Rust God that they offered sacrificial animals to in hopes to relieve them of this disease. It may have even contributed to the downfall of their empire. Over time and many year later scientists discovered a way to control the outbreak, but in 1999 a virulent strain broke out in Uganda. From Uganda it traveled on the wind up through Africa, into Yemen, and across the Red Sea to Iran. It is now headed towards Pakistan and India.

This would be devastating to these countries. Wheat is the most widely grown cereal crop accounting for 35% of their caloric intake. In addition, it brings in the sole income for many farmers in these areas.

This is why stem rust is on so many people’s radar, scientists and government alike. This strain can affect 90% of wheat crops. 90 Percent.

This is where Einkorn can save the day. Einkorn is not one of those 90%.  Einkorn carries the Gene Sr35. Researchers have determined that Sr35 has a near immunity quality to stem rust, and if they can pin point it, they can use it to stop the disease of stem rust.

This news attributes again to the incredible species that Einkorn is. Not only is it nutrient dense, low in heavy metals, carries the completely different gluten A genome for gluten, but there is high hopes that it will come to the rescue of the rest of the wheat family.

Einkorn Flaky Biscuits

Who doesn’t like biscuits? These Einkorn biscuits are flaky and light. The Einkorn flour softness contributes to the softness of the biscuits and make them an ideal Breakfast!

Actually these are so good they are great for anytime of the day. I loved how well they turned out so much that I took them to a dinner party that night and they were a huge hit!

See the einkorn biscuits recipe.

Try them for yourself! Get the recipe here

Einkorn Carrot Cake, Healthy AND Delicious

My first attempt at making einkorn carrot cake did not go well at all. To add to the blunder, it was supposed to be for a birthday so I was quite disappointed because it turned out to be more like einkorn pudding in a cake pan :/

As you can imagine, the “pudding birthday cake” only made me more determined to get this right. And that’s just what I did!

My second try turned out so well! 🙂  You can get my recipe here

Einkorn Carrot Cake

Einkorn Carrot Cake

The cake was spongy, moist, and had a delicious flavor. My family loved it so much that they nearly finished off the entire pan. It’s very healthy (as cakes go) so it was a score in every way.

…I needed one of those after my first try!

Try it for yourself and let me know how you like it: Einkorn Carrot Cake Recipe

Baking with einkorn takes some practice because it absorbs less water, and it looks like it is baked long before it’s ready to take out of the oven. I’ve been told that I should use 25% less water when baking with einkorn. That seems to be true.

Share your experiences with einkorn baking in the comments below.

Other Names for Einkorn

We call it “einkorn” but across the world, Triticum monococcum has many names, and that’s no surprise since it’s the world’s most primitive form of wheat.

Here are the names we’ve collected:

  • einkorn (German)
  • small spelt (Italian)
  • farro piccolo (Italian)
  • engrain (French)
  • Le petit épautre (French)
  • tiphe (Greek)
  • siyez (Turkish)
  • sifon (Hebrew)

The list of names is significant because each has a meaning that weaves Continue reading

Did Wheat Hybridization Give Rise To Celiac Disease?

Starting in the 1960’s, and increasingly in the 1990’s, plant breeders undertook efforts to produce hybrid wheat varieties with the goals of improving yield and disease resistance. Both worthwhile goals but it’s possible that wheat hybridization may have led to the rapidly growing prevalence of celiac disease today.

We learn that not all gluten is created equally. A study identifies that, “Gluten proteins from wheat can induce celiac disease (CD) in genetically susceptible individuals. Specific gluten peptides can be presented by antigen presenting cells to gluten-sensitive T-cell lymphocytes leading to CD.”1

The same abstract explains that a study of over 80 varieties of wheat shows Continue reading

Einkorn Tortillas, A Delicious Wrap

If you’re like me, you often prefer a wrap over a piece of bread.  That’s why I searched and tested until I had this simple, yet most delicious, recipe for einkorn farro tortillas.

Fresh Einkorn Tortillas

Fresh Einkorn Tortillas Ready to Cook

We use tortillas to make wraps filled with all the usual suspects – quinoa, beans, lettuce, salsa, avocado, and cheese.  And here’s a secret for which you may (or may not) thank me: these tortillas make for especially tasty quesadillas.

This tortilla recipe is fast and easy to make.  You can see my simple instructions and ingredients list under our recipes page here: Einkorn Tortillas Recipe. If you do have questions, feel free to contact us because getting them just right is a bit of an art.

When we make tortillas, we usually prepare large Continue reading

Einkorn Pilaf with Lemon

One of my favorite ways to eat einkorn grains is whole…chewy, yet soft.

If you’re of the same taste, I think you’ll love this new einkorn recipe: Einkorn Pilaf with Lemon

Try it out and share your experience here or at facebook.com/einkorn

A delicious einkorn berry salad recipe

Einkorn Pilaf with Lemon

Thank you to Dishes and Dishes for sharing this recipe with all of us!

Sesame Whole Grain Einkorn Crackers Recipe

I really enjoy trying a new delicious and simple recipe.  That’s why I was so excited when I came across this one from the Bread Experience!

These little delights are made with sesame seeds, salt, water, olive oil,  and fresh Einkorn flour. They are healthy, great tasting, and very simple to make.

If you’ve already tried the recipes for einkorn breadpitas, and pancakes, now you can try these delicious Sesame Whole Grain Einkorn Crackers!

Click here to get the recipe.  Try it out  and share your experience here or on facebook.

Sesame Einkorn Whole Grain Crackers

Tasty Sesame Whole Grain Einkorn Crackers

Continue reading

Triticum Monococcum

Triticum monococcum is the domesticated form of einkorn wheat, also know as einkorn farro. The wild form of einkorn is called Triticum boeoticum.

Einkorn Wheat Spikelets

Einkorn is a German word that literally means “one kernel”. This unique grain gets its name from the single (one) kernel per spikelet, or husks containing kernels on the head of the grain plant.

Einkorn wheat has a very simple diploid genetic structure, with only 14 chromosomes compared with the hexaploid genetic structure in modern wheat containing 42 chromosomes.

The attractiveness of the einkorn grain to dieticians and health conscious consumers is its nutritional benefits over other types of wheat. Since wheat is such a large contributor to our diets, eating a wheat high in nutrition can greatly contribute to health.

Continue reading

Einkorn Pasta – A Surprising Delight

I usually tell people that whole grain pastas were never meant to be. They are slimy, don’t mix in the flavor of the sauce, and fall apart very easily on the plate.  But after eating einkorn pasta, I’m taking that all back.

Jovial Foods Spaghetti Whole Grain Einkorn Pasta

Jovial Foods Spaghetti Whole Grain Einkorn Pasta

I never considered that einkorn pasta could be very different than any other whole grain pasta until Jovial sent a free sample to talk about on the blog. Even then, it sat on my shelf for quite some time because I didn’t think it was worth trying.

Finally, I felt up to it one day and cooked the pasta for dinner. WOW! I loved it, and so did my entire family. I went to The Good Earth (our local health food store) and found it to be available at a great discount so I bought several more boxes.

A special dinner with guests was coming up so I decided to cook up the einkorn pasta with my special pesto  recipe.  It was a hit with our guests too!

The einkorn pasta adds a perfect flavor to the dish and it doesn’t taste grainy or feel slimy.  Instead, it was sweet, slightly nutty, rich in flavor, the texture was very desirable.  Einkorn’s nutritional qualities combined with the tasty pasta make it real winner in my book.  Nice work Jovial!

I noticed they have several types of einkorn pasta listed for sale on Amazon but it’s often out of stock so it must be popular.  Check out some of the pastas they offer:

Thanks to Jovial, I can eat whole grain pasta (and like it). Have any of you tried the einkorn pasta from Jovial? If so, leave a comment. I’m interested to know how you liked it.

Eli Rogosa & UMass Amherst Help to Establish Ancient Einkorn Wheat

Eli Rogosa talks in this video about the UMass Amherst program to preserve and establish heirloom wheat grains, including einkorn (Triticum monococcum), into modern agriculture.

It’s interesting how she describes the root system of the heirloom grains compared with the shallow root system of modern wheat, which relies upon chemical fertilizers.

Delicious Honey Whole Grain Einkorn Pitas

I posted my einkorn bread recipe last month and now that voting season is coming to a close, I’m finally getting around to telling you about the delicious Honey Whole Grain Einkorn Pitas I baked up. I’ll be honest: I was pleasantly surprised to see and taste pitas made from einkorn berries. Not only were they delicious but they were also very light and the texture was perfect!

To get the ingredients, ratios and directions, you can print the entire recipe for Honey Whole Grain Einkorn Pitas, listed along with the other einkorn recipes.

I first combined all of the ingredients into my Bosch bowl and mixed them completely. After mixing, I started adding freshly ground whole grain einkorn flour to the bowl until the pita mixture stopped sticking to the sides of the mixer bowl.

Keep Adding Einkorn Flour to Pita Mixture

Keep Adding Einkorn Flour Until Pita Mixture Stops Sticking to Side of Bowl

Next, I kneaded the dough for 8 minutes then divided it into 18 dough balls.  I floured a surface and then rolled the dough balls into ¼-inch thick circles.  Keep in mind that Continue reading

Baking Einkorn Bread

I recently ground some ancient einkorn grain and made some flour for baking.  I first made tortillas, which were excellent.  Then I got carried away… 🙂

We loved the nutritious einkorn tortillas so much, I went on to make pitas, bread, and cherry cobbler.   I’m going to share my pictures and recipe for the bread first and then I’ll get to sharing the tortillas and pitas as soon as I can.  But first I’ll tell you about the bread…and then pitas and finally tortillas!  The full einkorn bread recipe is posted under the recipe section.

(Note: if you’re looking for the einkorn sourdough bread recipe, you’ll want to go here.)

Einkorn grinds into such a light and soft flour, I was afraid it would plug up my All Grain mill.  However, even with my mill on the finest setting, it milled out flour just fine.  However, for the bread, tortillas and pitas, I decided to move the setting 3/4 fine.  Next time, I will try an even finer setting.

All Grain Mill with Genuine Einkorn Wheat Berries

All Grain Mill with Genuine Einkorn Wheat Berries

After 45 minutes or so of grinding the einkorn wheat grains in my mill,  I had enough einkorn flour to make the tortillas, bread, pitas, and a little extra for cobbler.

To make bread, I put 3 Cups of hot tap water and 5 Cups of einkorn flour into my Bosch and mixed them until smooth. I then stopped the mixer and added 1/3 Cup of expeller-pressed coconut oil, 1/3 Cup raw, unfiltered honey, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast, and then 1 Tablespoon of sea salt.

Mixing Ingredients to Make Einkorn Bread

Mixing Ingredients to Make Einkorn Bread

After mixing all the ingredients together, I kept the mixer running and gradually added 5 1/2 Cups of einkorn flour and let it sit for 20 minutes.  After this brief rest, I started the mixer and slowly added more flour until the einkorn dough was no longer sticking to the sides of the mixer bowl.  I learned that making einkorn bread does require more flour than I thought it would but eventually it did stop sticking to the mixer bowl. Continue reading