An ancient grain loaf built for whole, fresh-milled einkorn. Traditional dough conditioners give structure and shelf life. The oldest wheat on earth, baked the way it wants to be baked.
| Metric | Volume | Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| 20g | 1 tbsp | Active sourdough starter |
| 60g | ½ cup | Whole einkorn flour, fresh-milled |
| 60g | ¼ cup | Filtered water, room temp |
| Metric | Volume | Ingredient |
|---|---|---|
| 350g | 2¾ cups | Whole einkorn flour, fresh-milled |
| 150g | 1¼ cups | Whole spelt flour (optional, see tip) |
| 375g | 1½ c + 2 T | Filtered water, warm (90°F / 32°C) |
| 140g | ½ c + 2 T | Active einkorn levain |
| 10g | 2 tsp | Fine sea salt |
| 1g | ¼ tsp | Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) |
| 15g | 1 tbsp | Lecithin (sunflower or soy, optional) |
| 15g | 1 tbsp | Honey |
For pure einkorn flavor, use 500g whole einkorn and skip the spelt. Expect a denser, more crumbly loaf. The 70/30 einkorn-spelt blend is the best balance of flavor and structure for most bakers.
Combine starter, einkorn flour, and water in a clean jar. Mark the level with tape. Cover loosely. Leave at 70–75°F (21–24°C) overnight.
Ready when risen 50–75% (not doubled — einkorn can't hold doubled volume). Bubbly, domed, pleasantly sour.
Whisk warm water, levain, honey, and lecithin until levain is broken up and honey is dissolved.
Add einkorn, spelt, salt, and vitamin C. Mix with a dough whisk until no dry flour. Dough will be wet and shaggy — correct. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Wet hands. Lift center, let ends fold under. Rotate 90°, repeat 3 more times. Dough feels slack and batter-like — normal.
Repeat. Should feel slightly tighter with more bubbles. Then stop — more handling tears the fragile gluten.
Bulk is done at 30–50% volume increase (not doubled). Visible surface bubbles, domed top, soft jiggle.
Einkorn gluten is structurally weaker than modern wheat. It can't hold a doubled bulk and will collapse if pushed. Pull at 30–50% rise — that's the sweet spot for a fragile-gluten dough.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Use a bench scraper to tuck edges into center, forming a loose round.
Flip seam-side up. Stretch bottom up to center, right and left in, roll top down to seal. Place seam-side up in floured banneton.
Cover banneton. Refrigerate 8–14 hours. Cold develops flavor and firms the dough enough to score cleanly.
Place Dutch oven in cold oven. Preheat to 450°F (230°C) for 45 minutes.
Tip dough onto parchment, seam-side down. One decisive slash, ½ inch (1cm) deep. Lower into hot Dutch oven by parchment. Cover.
450°F (230°C), lid on. Trapped steam sets the crust and gives oven spring.
Remove lid, reduce to 425°F (220°C). Bake until deep golden and internal temp reads 200°F (93°C). Don't push past — einkorn over-bakes fast.
Wire rack, at least 1 hour. Cutting hot einkorn destroys the crumb more than modern wheat. Patience pays off.
Einkorn browns fast and can go from perfect to over-baked in 5 minutes. Watch the color and verify with a thermometer.
The round form supports itself during cold retard and oven spring — easiest for fragile einkorn.
Possible but harder. Einkorn doesn't hold an elongated shape as cleanly.