Einkorn sourdough bread has a wonderfully fluffy, chewy interior and a satisfying, crusty exterior. This ancient wheat bakes the most amazing loaf of sourdough bread, with an added bonus of easier digestion.
Over the last six months or so, I’ve been working on converting the majority of our baked goods to einkorn flour.
Anytime I can’t ferment a baked good (like in chocolate chip coconut cookies), einkorn flour comes in handy. It is the world’s oldest heirloom wheat that hasn’t been hybridized.
Not only is it healthier, because it has more bio-available nutrients like folate, but it is much easier to digest. Some gluten sensitive people find that they can tolerate einkorn, even though it contains gluten.
I set out to create the perfect loaf of sourdough einkorn bread, and after a few tweaks, it comes out just right every time.
Truth be told, after I really perfected my no-knead sourdough bread recipe a few months back, I applied some of those techniques to this bread and couldn’t be happier with the results.
The bread rises so much more, and really blooms revealing the beautiful design.
If you are new to sourdough, you can find how to create a sourdough starter here.
Pair it with some cheeseburger soup or roasted red pepper and tomato soup for a delicious and comforting meal.
Tips:
- To ensure your bread is 100% einkorn, start your sourdough starter with einkorn flour, or convert your current starter to einkorn flour.
- Working with einkorn flour is different from conventional wheat. It yields a much stickier dough and can be tricky to shape. You can make this in a loaf pan or a dutch oven. A loaf pan makes perfect einkorn sandwich bread, whereas the dutch oven will yield a crusty loaf.
- When using a sourdough starter, it is recommended to use filtered water (this is my favorite way to filter water). Some water may contain too much chlorine, which can kill the beneficial bacteria and yeast.
- To really make this bread rise and have the perfect texture, I incorporated a modified stretch and fold process like with my other sourdough loaf. Since einkorn doesn’t have the same type of gluten structure, the process looks a little different, but still yields a wonderful result that is light and airy.
- I use both whole grain einkorn flour and all-purpose einkorn flour. I found this combination to be best for creating a delightful texture. You can substitute the whole grain einkorn for more all-purpose flour, if that is all you have on hand.
- Einkorn dough tends to be much stickier than regular bread dough. I like to use dampened hands and a bench scraper to combat this without having to add extra flour.
Watch The Tutorial
FAQ
I don’t have an einkorn sourdough starter, can I still make this?
Yes, you can use a regular wheat sourdough starter without issue.
How do you convert your wheat sourdough starter to an einkorn starter?
If you want to make this bread 100% einkorn, convert your starter to an einkorn starter by feeding it with einkorn flour for a few days. By the fifth feeding, your starter will be around 96% einkorn flour.
How do you know your sourdough starter is ready?
To make a delicious loaf of bread, you need to use a nice, active starter. Feed your starter 4-12 hours before creating the dough. It is usually ready when it has doubled or tripled in size.
Take a spoonful of your active starter and drop it into a cup of water. If it floats, then it is ready to use for bread.
How long does sourdough bread last?
Allow sourdough bread to cool completely before storing. Place in a bread box, an air-tight container, or a plastic zip-lock bag and store at room temperature. It will stay good for 4-5 days, if it’s not all gone by then!
You can also store bread in the freezer for a few months.
Can einkorn flour be used for sourdough?
Yes. While you cannot just use your favorite sourdough bread recipe (or any other sourdough recipe) and convert it to an einkorn version one-for-one, you can easily use einkorn flour for sourdough with a few tweaks. This is because einkorn flour requires less liquid than other flours.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Tools you may need:
Grain mill (optional) – I love my Mockmill
Stand Mixer (optional)
Measuring cups
Lame
Bench scraper
How To Make Einkorn Sourdough Bread
Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting your dough.
Once your starter is nice and active (lots of bubbles), grind einkorn berries, if needed. Skip this step if you have pre-ground flour.
Add flour and salt to a large bowl. Mix together.
Add sourdough starter and water to a large bowl and mix with your hands until it comes together.
Let rest for 15 minutes.
Flatten out dough and then stretch and fold in the edges on all sides. Roll into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap.
If the dough is sticky, dampen your hands before working with it. This allows you to easily work the dough without adding any extra flour.
Allow to rest again for 20 minutes. Repeat flattening and folding process.
Allow to rest for 20 minutes again and then repeat process another time.
Shape and cover with plastic wrap.
Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 3-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your home.
Shape loaf with hands. Place it in a floured banneton basket. Cover with a plastic bag and place in the fridge overnight.
If you do not have a banneton basket, you could use a piece of parchment paper. Place the dough on the parchment paper, place in a bowl, and cover to rise.
I usually use a plastic grocery bag and tie it to help keep it more air-tight.
The Next Day:
Preheat the oven to 450.
Place dutch oven in the oven and preheat for 30 minutes to an hour.
Once the dutch oven has preheated, take the dough out of the fridge and place onto a sheet of parchment paper.
Score the top of the dough and gently place the parchment paper and dough into the dutch oven, cover with lid, and place in the hot oven.
Bake for 30 minutes with the lid.
Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.
How To Store:
Wrap with beeswax wrap, in a bread box, or in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also place in a ziplock bag (sliced or whole) and freeze for an extended period of time.
Baker’s Schedule:
The night before: feed sourdough starter.
The Next Morning:
8 AM: Start einkorn sourdough bread dough. Mix together ingredients. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
8:20 AM: Flatten and fold dough. Shape into ball. Place into bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Rest for 20 minutes.
8:45 AM: Repeat the same process allowing the dough to rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
9:10 AM: Repeat that same process allowing the dough to rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
9:35 AM: Shape and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 3-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your home.
7 PM: (This time is dependent on when the dough doubles in size) Punch down dough and shape into a ball with hands. Place it in a floured banneton basket. Cover with a plastic bag and place in the fridge overnight.
The Next Day
8 AM: Preheat oven to 450 and allow dutch oven to preheat for 30 minutes to an hour.
9 AM: Take the dough out of the fridge and place onto parchment paper. Score. Place into dutch oven and bake.
How To Make Einkorn Sourdough Bread Loaf
Mix together the dough as previously stated.
Shape loaf with hands and put in a greased loaf pan; allow to rise until doubled in size. This will take around 3-12 hours.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Find More Einkorn Recipes Straight From Our Farmhouse Kitchen
- The Best Einkorn Pie Crust
- Gingerbread Cake With Einkorn Flour
- Einkorn Tortillas
- Einkorn Flatbread
- Berry Crisp Made With Einkorn
- Homemade Gnocchi With Einkorn Flour
- Einkorn Pancakes
If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate if you could come back, comment on the post, and give it 5 stars! Thanks.
Einkorn Sourdough Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose einkorn flour
- 1 cups whole grain einkorn flour
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting your dough.
- Once your starter is nice and active (lots of bubbles), grind einkorn berries, if needed. Skip this step if you have pre-ground flour.
- Add flour, sourdough starter, salt, and water to a large bowl and mix with your hands until it comes together.
- Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Flatten out dough and then stretch and fold in the edges on all sides. Roll into a ball. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap.
- Allow to rest again for 20 minutes.
- Repeat flattening and folding process. Allow to rest for 20 minutes again and then repeat process another time.
- Shape and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 3-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your home.
- Shape loaf with hands. Place it in a floured banneton basket.
- Cover with plastic bag and place in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- Place dutch oven in the oven and preheat for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Once the dutch oven has preheated, take the dough out of the fridge and place onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Score the top of the dough and gently place the parchment paper and dough into the dutch oven, cover with lid, and place in the hot oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid.
- Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- If you want your bread to be 100% einkorn, start your sourdough starter with einkorn flour, or convert your current starter to einkorn flour.
- Working with einkorn flour is different from conventional wheat. It yields a much stickier dough and can be tricky to shape.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pin It For Later
Thank you for this recipe! This is my first time trying to make an einkorn sourdough.
I used a loaf pan and baked for about 40 minutes but the loaf seemed to end up quite moist and underbaked inside. Should I be baking it longer?
Yes, I would try baking it a bit longer. If you still find your bread to turn out doughy, it can be from not fermenting your dough and letting it rise enough.
Lisa, you probably want to change the flour amounts in the written recipe. The video amount is 1 cup more and your dough is so much more workable than what we are experiencing with the written instructions alone. Thanks for all the great work. Awesome recipe!
Thank you for letting me know. I will adjust the recipe.
In the video you use 3.5 cups all purpose and 1.5 cups whole grain, but in this recipe an entire cup floor is missing. My loaf was extremely sticky, hard to work with, and came out very dense. I think it may have been too wet from missing that last cup of flour. Which version is correct?
I’m curious about the flour amounts too.
Yes, she is using more four, I basically added more using flour instead of water to shape and fold it.
I’m new to einkorn flour. I made a yeasted einkorn bread with jovial’s recipe. I baked it in a loaf pan for 35 minutes,and it got quite a bit of color on the top and the top crust falls off when I cut it. Any ideas why? I will try your sourdough recipe next.
That’s interesting! Not sure why it would be doing that.
Can I make this bread using a regular loaf pan & are there changes to how I make it?
Thanks,
Karen
It will make two loaves for sandwich bread! No changes, just changes to baking times. Follow this recipe for baking times.
Do you recommend purchasing any specific brand of Einkorn Flour? Where can I purchase it?
Thank you
I like to get it from Jovial!
What changes would I make if I use a loaf pan instead of a dutch oven?
Hi! Will this still turn out if I use only freshly milled einkorn? I don’t have all-purpose einkorn on hand. Thanks!
Yes, it should.
I don’t know how to proceed with this. This is my first experience with Einkorn. I watched your video and followed exactly. BF is finished but the dough is so extremely wet that I can’t work with it. I worked olives into one loaf and the other is plain. I tried to preshape olive loaf to put it into a banneton but it was so challenging I’ve decided to make it into focaccia. When I went to turn the second one out to preshape I decided to message you first and am hoping you’ll see this and respond in the next couple of hours. I’m letting it BF longer to see if that improves the dough.
Thanks for your great tutorials. Lots of info, anticipating the many questions that novices may have.
My question is – for this Einkorn Sourdough recipe you include 1 cup of whole grain Einkorn. Is that necessary for the recipe to succeed or can one use 4 cups all purpose Einkorn?
Thanks, again.
BTW making the starter is an amazing experience!
Evelyn
You can use either, but I do like the addition of the whole grain Einkorn flour.
I had to use a lot more einhorn all purpose flour to get the dough to be not sticky enough to actually roll into a ball. Im talking super sticky. What did I do wrong?
Was this after fermentation?
I had the same problem. I then watched the video trying to figure out what I did wrong, and noticed that she said to use 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 cups whole grain flour. After adding that extra cup, my dough was much better!
Hope that helps.
Oh, i did not watch the video and just fillowed directions in recipe . I was thinking it was too wet but went with it thinking it was the flour (since i have never used it).
I am BF for 24 hr in fridge, just put it in . Will see what happens.