Try our no-knead Einkorn bread recipe for a deliciously hearty and flavorful loaf. This ancient grain is loaded with nutrients, and the best part is that it's super easy to make. This bread bakes up soft and tender, and it's perfect for toast or sandwiches.
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Years ago, I picked up a bag of Jovial's Einkorn flour on a whim and started swapping it into my baking instead of using all-purpose flour. The flavor won me over—but once that bag was gone, I slipped back into my usual AP flour routine.
Fast-forward to a recent visit to the Central Milling Baking Center in Petaluma, California, where I got a firsthand look at their incredible selection of flours. They mill everything from classic wheat to ancient grains, and I couldn't resist bringing home a few bags—including another round of Einkorn flour. It's time to start experimenting again!
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What is Einkorn Flour?
Einkorn is one of the oldest cultivated wheat varieties. It has a mild, nutty flavor and a yellow color due to its high lutein content. Einkorn is also called “farro piccolo," and, it also belongs to the same family as Spelt and Emmer.
I started baking with Einkorn flour because it doesn’t develop strong gluten like modern wheat and is easier to digest. Many people with wheat sensitivities, including me, can tolerate Einkorn. Plus, unlike commercial all-purpose flour, it isn’t sprayed with folic acid.
- Type of recipe: Yeast bread
- Cooking method: Baked
- Skill level: Easy to medium with mixing and forming the dough
- Flavors & textures: Complex flavors with a moist but firm texture
Einkorn Bread Recipe Ingredients
This bread takes simple ingredients.
- Einkorn flour - For this loaf, I used the Central Milling flour, Jovial Einkorn flour can be found in many grocery stores and online, along with several other milling companies.
- Active dry yeast - Use your favorite such as Fleishman's or Red Star
- Water - necessary for hydration and heated to 105-110 degrees.
- Honey - this will add a touch of sweetness and also helps the yeast rise.
- Butter - adds flavor and gives the bread a tender crumb.
- Salt is a necessary ingredient for flavoring the bread; this recipe uses a fair amount. Salt also strengthens the gluten and colors the crust.
How To Make Einkorn Bread
Step 1. Proof the yeast in a large bowl with warm water, honey, and melted butter.
Step 2. Mix in half of the flour and the salt.
Step 3. Add the other half of the flour and mix just until the flour is combined. The dough will remain sticky, but refrain from adding more flour.
Step 4. Round up the dough with a bench scraper and place it in a buttered bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise for an hour.
Einkorn Four Tip - Because einkorn flour has weak gluten, you don't want it to raise too much or it can break the gluten and cause your loaf to be flat and dense.
Step 5. Thoroughly butter a 9 x 5 bread pan, or an 8 x 5 bread pan. You can use a silicone bread pan liner like this one that makes it easy to lift the bake bread from the pan.
Step 6. Place the bread on a lightly floured surface and spread it with your hands. The dough is still a bit sticky, so butter your hands if necessary.
Step 7. Roll the dough into a loaf.
Step 8. Place the loaf in the bread pan, cover it with buttered plastic wrap, and let it rise for 30 minutes.
Step 9. This is optional, but I like to brush the top of the bread with a beaten egg white.
Step 10. Bake the bread at 375 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes. Let the bread cool for about ten minutes, then remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to continue cooling before slicing.
What Are Ancient Grains?
Ancient grains are grains that have remained unaltered and unhybridized over the years. They have been preserved by farmers who strive to maintain their original characteristics. Besides Einkorn, you may be familiar with buckwheat, spelt, barley, farro and amaranth.
The thing about ancient grains is that they don’t really fit in with today’s big farming methods. Unlike the more common grains, they haven’t been bred for traits like being disease-resistant or handling dry conditions. So, you won’t usually find farmers growing einkorn or other ancient grains in large amounts on their farms.
The upside to this lack of hybridization is that ancient grains are often more nutritious and beneficial for our health. This is why I am using them more and more in cooking and baking.
Make sure to read this article on the types of flour for baking to learn about the different flours.
What To Pair This ...
Here are some great dishes to serve alongside it:
- Jam is always tasty on a slice of warm bread. This small batch of strawberry jam takes minutes to make without pectin.
- Make a cup of this 2-ingredient honey ginger tea to enjoy with a slice of bread.
- Toast a slice of this einkorn bread and serve it with a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs for breakfast.
FAQ's
Einkorn flour has very weak gluten, so if you let the dough double in size, it can break the gluten structure, resulting in a flat, dense loaf. For the best results, allow the dough to rise by only about 40% instead of the normal double in size.
The yellowish color of Einkorn flour comes from a natural pigment called lutein. Since Einkorn is less processed than modern wheat, it retains more of those beneficial nutrients, including lutein. So when you bake with Einkorn flour, you’re not just adding flavor and texture but boosting your nutrients too!
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Recipe
No-Knead Einkorn Bread
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1¼ cups water heated to 105-110℉
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 cups Einkorn flour
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 egg white optional
Instructions
- Add the yeast, warmed water, melted butter and honey to a large bowl, or stand mixer bowl. Stir and then allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until foaming and bubbly. See notes below for proofing yeast.
- Add half of the flour and all of the salt and mix on low speed until the flour is mixed in, using the paddle attachment, or mix by hand with a wooden spoon. Then mix in the remaining flour until it is completely mixed in. Note: The dough will be sticky and will not leave the sides of the bowl. At this point, do not be tempted to add more flour.
- Gather the dough with a bench scraper to form a small dough ball. Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and sit in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes to one hour.
- Prepare your bread pan, by buttering it thoroughly, or using a silicone bread pan liner.
- Place the dough on a very lightly floured work surface, or a lightly buttered work surface. For einkorn you don't want to add additional flour. Press the dough into a small square the size of your bread pan. Roll the dough into a loaf and place into the bread pan.Note: You may need to use the bench scraper to help roll the sticky dough.
- Cover the bread pan with buttered plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 30-40 minutes for the second rise.
- Start preheating your oven to 375℉.
- Optional - When the dough is ready, use an egg white wash and brush on the top of the dough before baking. This will make the top of the bread shiny.
- Bake for 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Let the bread cool for about ten minutes, then remove from the pan to a wire rack to continue cooling before slicing.
- Store in an airtight container or bag for 2-3 days at room temperature, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
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Nutrition
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Hello there, I'm Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven® sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
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