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.
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.
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!
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 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 →
If there were a single change to our daily diet that would significantly increase our daily antioxidant intake, what would that change be? Eat einkorn bread.
Einkorn's Superior Antioxidant Levels Preserved
I came across some very interesting researcha recently regarding the loss of antioxidants (specifically carotenoids) during the food processing process in the production of bread, water biscuits and pasta. The flours they studied? There were three: Einkorn, bread wheat, and durum wheat semolina.
In all three flours, antioxidant levels decreased significantly through the processing stages but einkorn was significantly more successful at preserving its high antioxidant levels through the entire baking process than the other flours. I thought that was interesting.
You may remember my former post about einkorn nutrition, when I shared some information about einkorn’s superior antioxidant attributes:
Einkorn contains 3 to 4 times more beta-carotene than modern wheats (Boosts immunity, helps prevent cancer and heart disease)
Einkorn contains 35 times more Vitamin A than modern wheats (Healthy eyes, reproductive organs and prevention of many cancers)
Einkorn contains 3 to 4 times more lutein than modern wheats (Prevention of macular degeneration and cataracts)
Einkorn contains 4-5 times more riboflavin than modern wheats (Used by the body to create energy and is an antioxidant that slows aging)
Not only are antioxidants much higher in einkorn compared with other grains but now, with the results of this recent study, we learn that einkorn’s carotenoid levels are also better preserved in the bread making process, making it an ideal candidate for improving our modernized diets.
Can you imagine the effect it would have on the health of a child if he or should could grow up eating this ancient einkorn wheat? The more I think about the impact, the more I realize the need to increase the production of this crop and get it into the hands of more people throughout the world.
I’m a mother of 4 kids (with one more on the way) and the worst feeling for me is to provide a healthy breakfast meal first thing in the morning. I try to feed my family healthy foods but sometimes the “cheap cold cereal” is all too tempting as a cop-out meal in the morning…I’m sure you know the feeling 🙂
Cooking Einkorn Pancakes
In the last year, I discovered “blender” pancakes in one of those cook books sitting on my shelf (I can’t remember the book). The pancakes are so easy to make and it’s very quick. My kids and husband also love them.
Over time, I modified the recipe to use more natural and healthy ingredients; Since we eat this meal so often, I wanted to make it as healthy as possible for the family.
You can see my recipe by clicking here. I’ve also added some additional comments and pictures below so you can see better how I have made this work for our family.
When I first made this recipe, I was surprised at how simple and easy it was. It took actually making it to realize just how simple it was so I’ve broken it out into 4 simple steps below.
In 2006, the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology released the results of a study which suggested the possibility of adding einkorn grain to the dietary options of celiac patients. I was able to get a copy of the full study but cannot post it entirely because of copyright restrictions. Instead, I have quoted the abstract and posted it below:
(For those who don’t know, the genetic classification of einkorn wheat is Triticum monococcum, which is an important detail as you read this post.)
Study Abstract
Lack of intestinal mucosal toxicity of Triticum monococcum in celiac disease patients
Cultivated Einkorn (Triticum monococcum)
Daniela Pizzuti1, Andrea Buda1, Anna D’Odorico1, Renata D’Incà1, Silvia Chiarelli2, Andrea Curioni3 and Diego Martines1
1 Department of Surgical and Gastroenterological Sciences, 2 Department of Surgical and Oncological Sciences, 3 Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Padua University, Italy
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 2006; 41: 1305-1311
Objective. The treatment of celiac disease is based on lifelong withdrawal of foods containing gluten. Unfortunately, compliance with a gluten-free diet has proved poor in many patients (mainly due to its low palatability), emphasizing the need for cereal varieties that are not toxic for celiac patients. In evolutionary terms, Triticum monococcum is the oldest and most primitive cultivated wheat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of T. monococcum on small intestinal mucosa, using an in vitro organ culture system. Continue reading →
For over 7,000 years, mankind has cultivated and developed wheat for breads and cereals. Today, we consume more wheat, as a percentage of our daily diet, than any other food. Just think about that and the effects wheat can have on our health – good or bad!
Wheat Bread, just one of the many ways we like to eat different types of wheat
I’ve been researching the nutritional content of 19 different types of wheat, and I’ve included a link to all of my findings in this post. This post focuses on the nutritional content and health benefits of einkorn wheat compared with the common types of wheat of which most of our food from the grocery store is made.
In doing my research, it is easy to see why there has been renewed worldwide interest in ancient einkorn. The interest comes not only from einkorn’s unique gluten structure but also it’s incredible nutritional qualities.
Wheat gluten studies have found einkorn may be non-toxic to suffers of gluten intolerance
Einkorn wheat has 14 chromosomes while modern wheats have 42 (Friendly to the body’s digestive system)
Einkorn contains 3 to 4 times more beta-carotene than modern wheats (Boosts immunity, helps prevent cancer and heart disease)
Einkorn contains 2 times more Vitamin A (retinol equivalent) than modern wheats (Healthy eyes, reproductive organs and prevention of many cancers)
Einkorn contains 3 to 4 times more lutein than modern wheats (Prevention of macular degeneration and cataracts)
Einkorn contains 4-5 times more riboflavin than modern wheats (Used by the body to create energy and is an antioxidant that slows aging)
Einkorn is a “hulled” wheat, whereas modern wheats are not. The hull can protect the grain from stray chemical contamination and insects making it an easier grain to grow ORGANICALLY!
Einkorn vs Major Types of Wheat Comparison Matrix
Brief Comparison of Einkorn and Major Types of Wheat