This soft Einkorn flour bread is made with yeast, honey, and butter for a lightly nutty homemade loaf. The dough is naturally sticky, but it requires no kneading and bakes into a tender bread that is perfect for toast and sandwiches.
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Years ago, I picked up a bag of Jovial’s Einkorn flour on a whim and started using it in place of all-purpose flour. Its lightly nutty flavor won me over, but once the bag was gone, I slipped back into my usual baking routine.
A visit to the Central Milling Baking Center in Petaluma, California, brought Einkorn back into my kitchen. I came home with several bags of flour, including Einkorn, and started working on this bread. Einkorn dough does not behave like ordinary bread dough, but once you know not to add too much flour or let it over-rise, it makes a soft, sturdy loaf.
What is Einkorn Flour and Can You Use It For Bread?
Einkorn is an ancient variety of wheat with a lightly nutty flavor and naturally golden color. It is sometimes called farro piccolo and is related to other ancient grains, including spelt and emmer.
You can use Einkorn flour to make yeast bread, but it behaves differently from modern bread flour. Its gluten structure is weaker, so the dough remains soft and sticky and does not need vigorous mixing or kneading. It should also rise by about 40% rather than doubling in size.
Einkorn contains gluten and is not suitable for anyone with celiac disease or a wheat allergy. I personally find it easier to tolerate than modern wheat, but everyone’s response is different.
To compare Einkorn with other varieties, read my guide to the types of flour used for baking.
Recipe Highlights
- Type of recipe: Yeast bread
- Cooking method: Oven-baked
- Skill level: Easy to medium
- Flavors & textures: Lightly nutty with a soft, sturdy texture
- Best for: Toast and sandwiches
Ingredients For Einkorn Bread
How To Make Einkorn Bread
Step 1. Proof the yeast in a large bowl with warm water, honey, and melted butter.
Step 2. Using the paddle attachment, mix in half of the whole-grain Einkorn flour and the salt.
Step 3. Add the remaining flour and mix just until no dry patches remain. The dough will be soft and sticky. Do not add extra flour to make it resemble ordinary bread dough.
Step 4. Use a bench scraper, a flat rectangular tool that helps lift and handle sticky dough, or use a sturdy spatula to gather the dough into a ball. Transfer it to a buttered bowl, cover, and let it rise for about one hour. It should look puffy and increase by roughly 40%, but it should not double.
Einkorn Flour Tip – Because einkorn flour has weak gluten, you don’t want it to rise too much, or it can break the gluten and make your loaf flat and dense.
Step 5. Thoroughly butter a 9 x 5 bread pan or line it with a silicone bread pan liner.
Step 6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press it into a rectangle, buttering your hands if the dough sticks.
Step 7. Roll the dough into a loaf and place it seam-side down in the prepared pan.
Step 8. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let it rise for about 30 minutes. The dough should look noticeably puffy but should not double.
Step 9. This is optional, but I like to brush the top of the bread with a beaten egg white.
Step 10. Bake at 375°F for 40–45 minutes. The loaf is done when the crust is golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 200°F.
Step 11. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the loaf to a wire rack. Let it cool completely before slicing so the crumb can finish setting.
How Should Einkorn Bread Be Stored?
Let the loaf cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to three days.
I have not tested freezing this loaf, so I have not included freezing instructions.
How Do You Keep Einkorn Bread From Turning Dense?
Einkorn bread can turn dense when too much flour is added, the dough is overmixed or it is allowed to rise too far. The dough should remain soft and sticky. Mix it only until combined and let it become puffy rather than waiting for it to double.
Check that your yeast is active before adding the flour. After baking, let the loaf cool completely before slicing. Cutting warm bread can compress the crumb and make it seem gummy.
Serving Ideas
Here are some great dishes to serve alongside it:
- Toast a slice for breakfast and serve it with fluffy scrambled eggs.
- Spread a slice with strawberry jam, or use the bread to make a sandwich filled with my chicken salad with grapes.
- A thick slice is also great for soaking up the broth from beef and sweet potato stew.
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Recipe
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No-Knead Einkorn Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1¼ cups water heated to 105-110℉
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 4 cups Einkorn flour whole grain
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 egg white lighlty beaten, optional
Instructions
- Add the yeast, warm water, melted butter and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir and let the mixture stand for 5–10 minutes, until the yeast looks creamy and foamy.1½ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1¼ cups water, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons honey
- Add half of the Einkorn flour and all of the salt. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until combined.2 cups einkorn flour, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Add the remaining flour and mix on low just until no dry patches remain. The dough will be soft and sticky and will not pull away from the sides of the bowl. Do not add more flour.2 cups einkorn flour
- Use a bench scraper or sturdy spatula to gather the dough into a ball. Transfer it to a buttered bowl, cover and let it rise for about one hour. It should look puffy and increase by roughly 40%, but it should not double.
- Thoroughly butter a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan or add a silicone loaf-pan liner.
- Turn the dough onto a very lightly floured or lightly buttered work surface. Gently press it into a rectangle about the width of the loaf pan. Roll the dough into a loaf, using the bench scraper to help lift the sticky dough if needed.
- Place the loaf seam-side down in the prepared pan. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 30–40 minutes. The dough should look noticeably puffy but should not double.
- While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 375°F. For a shiny crust, lightly brush the risen dough with the beaten egg white before baking.1 egg white
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 200°F.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Einkorn dough is naturally softer and stickier than dough made with modern bread flour. Resist adding extra flour because too much can make the loaf dry and dense.
- Do not wait for the dough to double during either rise. Einkorn has a weaker gluten structure, so letting it rise too far can cause the finished loaf to fall or become dense.
- Freezing has not been tested for this recipe.
- Store the completely cooled bread in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to three days.
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Nutrition
First published: March 10, 2025. Last updated: Sept. 22, 2026 for better readability.
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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.
Thank you for sharing this recipe
but, how much water, honey, butter, salt?? What is a bench scraper?
Thank you for asking. The recipe uses 1¼ cups of water, 2 tablespoons of honey, 3 tablespoons of melted butter and 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt. The complete ingredient amounts are also listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
A bench scraper is a flat rectangular kitchen tool used to lift, divide and handle dough. It is especially helpful here because Einkorn dough stays sticky, but a sturdy spatula will also work.