Beginner’s Einkorn Sourdough Bread Recipe
I absolutely love Einkorn flour.. It has never been hybridized which often makes it more digestible for those sensitive to gluten. Our Einkorn Sourdough Starter has also never been treated with the herbicide called glyphosate, which makes it even better than other starters that use regular non-organic flours that are most likely treated with glyphosate. Follow the recipe below to bake a delicious Einkorn Sourdough Bread that you & your family will enjoy!
Instead of maintaining a constantly active starter, simply take a portion of the stiff starter to create a levain (a smaller, active starter) when it is time to bake. This process ensures that your levain is at its peak activity, giving your dough the best possible rise and flavor.
Einkorn Sourdough Bread Levain (active starter) Recipe (I like to make the levain the night before)
🌾 Ingredients
25g The Sourdough Source Einkorn stiff sourdough starter
100g spring water 100°F
100g Einkorn all-purpose flour
📌 Instructions
1️⃣ Mix the Levain
Place 25g of Einkorn sourdough starter in a 32-ounce wide-mouth mason jar. Add 100g warm water and use a fork to mix well. Add 100g Einkorn flour and mix thoroughly, ensuring all the flour (even at the bottom) is mixed well.
2️⃣ Fermentation
Tighten the lid on the jar and place it in a warm, dark place for 8–10 hours. Time will vary, depending on the temperature of your kitchen, it could take less time if your kitchen is warm (75*F or warmer).
3️⃣ Ready to Use
When the levain has doubled in size with large bubbles, it is ready to use in your Einkorn sourdough bread recipe. This makes about 200g of levain.
Note: If a recipe calls for a hydrated sourdough starter (levain), use the specified amount of levain in place of the hydrated sourdough starter. Also, please note that some recipes may require a different levain recipe. For example, my Einkorn Sourdough Pancake recipe uses a slightly different levain recipe than my Beginner’s Einkorn Sourdough Bread recipe. Be sure to follow the specific levain instructions for each recipe for best results.
Using a scale for precise measurements and a thermometer for water temperature ensures the most accurate results.
Time to start making Einkorn Sourdough Bread
Prep Time: 30 min | Fermentation Time: 4-5 hrs (or overnight in the refrigerator if wanting to bake at a later time) | Cook Time: 45 min | Yield: 1 loaf
🥣 Essential Supplies
✔ Mixing Bowls (glass) – For mixing dough.
✔ Digital Scale – For precise ingredient measurements.
✔ Dough Whisk or Wooden Spoon – Helps mix einkorn dough without overworking it.
✔ Banneton (Proofing Basket) – Supports dough shape during proofing.
✔ Bowl Scraper – For handling and shaping the dough.
✔ Parchment Paper – To prevent sticking during baking.
✔ Dutch Oven – Traps steam for a great crust.
✔ Razor Blade or Bread Lame – For scoring the dough before baking.
✔ Instant-Read Thermometer – Checks water temp.
✔ Plastic Wrap – To cover dough during fermentation.
✔ Cooling Rack – Allows bread to cool properly after baking.
✔ Silicone Gloves – Protect hands from high heat when handling the Dutch oven.
🌾 Ingredients
✔ 200g active Einkorn sourdough starter (entire container of levain) See Einkorn Levain Recipe
✔300g warm spring water 100°F
✔ 12g fine sea salt
✔ 540g organic Einkorn all-purpose flour
📌 Instructions
1️⃣ Mix the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the Einkorn sourdough levain (make night before you plan on baking bread) and warm water with a dough whisk until it is well combined. Add Einkorn flour and salt, then mix until no dry flour remains (dough will have a shaggy look). Einkorn dough is naturally sticky compared to other doughs. Cover and let it rest for 1 hour.
2️⃣ Strengthen the Dough
After the 1 hour has passed, while the dough is in the bowl, pull the dough from the edges and fold it over toward the center. Continue this in a circular motion—lifting, stretching, and folding—about 12 times until it becomes more like the shape of a ball. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes gently take the dough out of the bowl with a bowl scraper or hands and put on the counter (lightly sprinkle Einkorn flour on counter & hands). Shape the dough into a rectangle. Start from the left side of the rectangle, stretch and fold the dough by pulling one side up and folding it over itself, past the halfway mark. Then take the right side of the rectangle, stretch and fold the dough by pulling it up and folding over the other half. Next, take the top part of the dough, stretch and fold past the halfway mark. Lastly, take bottom part of dough, stretch and fold over the other half. Use the bowl scraper to gently lift up dough, put back in bowl, and cover. Wait 20 minutes and repeat the stretch and fold process 1 more time. After last stretch and fold, cover the bowl with a bowl cover or plastic wrap (I put a plate on top of bowl) and let the dough ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours until the dough appears airy and has delicately puffed up (the warmer it is, the shorter time it will take to ferment, the colder it is the longer it will take to ferment).
3️⃣ Shape the Dough
Lightly flour the counter & hands and gently take dough out of bowl with a bowl scraper. Shape the dough into a circle shape and then fold the edges toward the center. Flip the dough over with help from the bench scraper and shape dough into a tight ball, boule shape (cupping with hands in a circular motion). Place into a floured (Einkorn flour) banneton, with bottom-side up. Cover and proof at room temperature for 90 minutes or refrigerate overnight for a deeper sourdough flavor. Cold fermentation strengthens gluten, slows yeast activity, and enhances complex sourdough flavor. It also keeps the dough firm, making scoring & baking easier.
4️⃣ Preheat & Bake
Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for 1 hour with a Dutch oven inside. After 1 hour, gently flip the dough onto parchment paper, then score top of loaf (hold bread lame or razor at a 30° or 45° degree angle and make one long slash running along the length of the dough, not too deep, cut should be slightly curved) and carefully transfer it, with the parchment paper underneath, to the preheated Dutch oven.. Reduce the temperature to 450°F (232°C) before placing the bread inside oven to bake. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for 10 -15 more minutes or until golden brown. Make sure you put a baking sheet on the shelf below the preheated Dutch oven after you put loaf into oven (this helps bread crust on bottom from getting too hard and burnt on bottom of bread).
5️⃣ Cool & Enjoy
Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 2 hours before slicing. This allows the crumb to set properly and enhances flavor. Never refrigerate bread. Either leave on counter with a bowl covering it or slice bread and put in freezer.