Einkorn Flour Bread

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!

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.

Einkorn Bread Recipe Ingredients

This bread takes simple ingredients.

• Einkorn flour—For this loaf, I used Central Milling flour. Jovial Einkorn is another great brand of Einkorn flour, and several other milling companies sell it in many grocery stores and online.
• 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 baked 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 loaf of Einkorn Bread and make a sandwich with the chicken salad.
• 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

Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog.  Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Do you have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my About page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!