Author: This homemade einkorn sourdough bread is made with fresh-milled flour and is soft on the inside while boasting the perfect crispy outer crust. Make this recipe in a Dutch oven or on a baking tray. Perfect for pairing with a hearty dinner, or just to enjoy on its own!
Whether it’s a simple loaf of no-knead sandwich bread or a slice of rich brown bread – there’s nothing that warms the soul quite like a fresh loaf of homemade bread.
If that sounds good to you, then you’ll love this einkorn sourdough bread made with freshly milled, whole-grain einkorn flour!
Fresh Milled Einkorn Sourdough Bread
It’s no secret that we love einkorn sourdough recipes. But until recently, we really only made them using all-purpose einkorn. The reason was that most of our readers were also using all-purpose einkorn, so we wanted to serve them where they were.
Over the years that need has shifted with more and more people opting to use freshly milled flour for the nutrients it offers.
So, we are shifting too! We do have this freshly milled einkorn honey wheat sandwich bread (which is amazing) and we are working on several others as well.
For today, we are excited to share this recipe for einkorn sourdough bread using only freshly milled flour!
Best Tips for Freshly Milled Einkorn Sourdough Bread
There are a few things you can do to ensure the best final texture to your fresh milled flour einkorn bread! Read through these before starting the recipe!
- A Fine Grind – Make sure that your flour is VERY fine. You can do this by double grinding, or grinding with your mill and then processing further in a food processor or blender. I have found that a Vitamix works the best for this, but use what you have. The finer the flour, the better the finished product. You do NOT need to sift it, as the hulls hold many beneficial nutrients. Just make sure to grind or process it well.
- Stretch and Fold – Instead of using a bench kneading and shaping method, we are going to use a stretch and fold method right in the mixing bowl. Due to the wetness of this dough, kneading on a bench is not possible. It’s ok! This bread will still turn out very well without the kneading steps.
- Trust the Process – Baking with einkorn is not like baking with modern wheat, so the textures is going to be different than what you’re used to with modern wheat. Instead, weigh your ingredients and trust the process! The dough is going to be much looser and wetter than you think it should be, but as long as you’re able to stretch it a bit (not like modern wheat) it’s good to go. If it’s unable to stretch even a bit, add more flour a few tablespoons at a time. You are not looking for dough that you can shape though!
Ingredients
I love how simple these ingredients are! We are going to break them down in case there are any questions about substitutions and the full ingredients with measurements can be found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Flour – We use freshly milled einkorn flour for this recipe. You can also use whole wheat einkorn that comes already ground, or you can mill any other type of wheat you’d like. Please note that the finer the flour, the better the finished results will be! Don’t worry about sifting, just grind it finely with your mill or blender/food processor.
- Starter – You can use an all-purpose starter or one that has been fed with freshly milled flour. It doesn’t have to be an einkorn starter, just any well-established starter will do. However, a 100% hydration starter works best for this recipe. If your starter is NOT a 100% hydration starter, feed it according to these ratios for creating a 100% hydration einkorn starter before making the recipe.
- Salt – We use various types of sea salt and prefer the taste over table salt, but you can use what you have on hand.
Instructions
If you’ve never made sourdough bread before, these step-by-step instructions will help you create the perfect finished loaf!
- A Shaggy Dough – Combine flour, water, and starter by hand into a shaggy dough. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Autolyse -Sprinkle with salt and use a pinching motion to work the salt into the dough.
- Stretch and Fold – Using wet hands, grab half the dough and stretch as far as it will go without breaking away from the ball. Fold over the ball. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn, stretch and fold. Repeat 2 more times until the ball has been stretched and folded 4 times total. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Repeat the fold and stretch method with a 30-minute way between each effort, until the dough has been stretched a total of 4 times. NOTE: At no point should you punch down the dough. You want the air bubbles.
- Ferment – Cover the dough in the bowl and let it ferment for 2 hours at room temperature. Next, place the covered dough bowl in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours.
- Shape – Remove from fridge and let the dough come to room temperature for 1 hour. NOTE: If you are not using einkorn, divide the dough into 2 balls. Flour the top of the dough and use a scraper and/or wet hands to flip the dough over. Stretch 1/3 of dough out and fold over. Repeat with the other 3rd. Fold ends up and pinch to form a ball. Place dough, seam side up into a cloth-lined and floured bowl to proof. Let rise for 2 hours, covered, in the fridge.
- Preheat – Place a Dutch oven into a cold oven and preheat to 450°F for the last 30 minutes of dough rise time.
- Prepare – Remove the dough from the fridge and flip it onto a piece of parchment paper. Gentle remove any parts of the cloth that are stuck to the dough. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife in the desired pattern. Remove the lid of the Dutch oven and place parchment and bread inside.
- Bake – Replace the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the top of the bread.
- Test – Thump the top of the bread, if it sounds hollow, it’s ready! Allow to cool for at least an hour on a rack or cutting board before cutting.
New to sourdough? Check out our Art of Sourdough Masterclass and get a full video training experience! Achieve the results you want with ease!
Common Questions
Yes! If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can still get that authentic sourdough crust by using a preheated baking stone or sheet pan. Place the stone or pan in the oven during preheating, then transfer your shaped dough onto it for baking. Create steam by spraying water into the oven during the initial baking stage for a crispy crust.
Absolutely! You can customize your sourdough bread by adding ingredients like seeds (sesame, poppy, sunflower) or herbs (rosemary, thyme) during the stretch and fold process! Keep the total quantity of additions to a max of 1 cup to avoid breaking up the dough too much.
A fully baked sourdough bread will have a golden-brown crust, sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, and reach an internal temperature of around 200-210°F (93-99°C). Test from the bottom if using a thermometer to keep the top of the bread beautiful. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing for best results.
Yes, sourdough bread freezes well! This allows you to bake in bulk and enjoy the bread later, instead of having to bake every day, or multiple times a week. Once fully cooled, wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw at room temperature or reheat slices in a toaster or oven when ready to eat.
Even More Sourdough Recipes
If you’re in love with sourdough bread and sourdough results, here are a few more sourdough recipes for you to try! And if you haven’t quite achieved the results you want, check out our Art of Sourdough Masterclass for a full video training experience!
Fresh Milled Einkorn Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven (optional)
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 cups einkorn flour (freshly milled) (627g)
- 1 cup sourdough starter, active and stirred before measuring (175g)
- 1 3/4 cups water (445g)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine flour, water, and starter by hand into a shaggy dough. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Sprinkle with salt and use a pinching motion to work the salt into the dough.
- Using wet hands, grab half the dough and stretch as far as it will go without breaking away from the ball. Fold over the ball. Rotate the bowl ¼ turn, stretch and fold. Repeat 2 more times until the ball has been stretched and folded 4 times total. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Repeat the fold and stretch method with a 30-minute way between each effort, until the dough has been stretched a total of 4 times. NOTE: At no point should you punch down the dough. You want the air bubbles.
- Cover the dough in the bowl and let it ferment for 2 hours at room temperature. Next, place the covered dough bowl in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours.
- Remove from fridge and let the dough come to room temperature for 1 hour. NOTE: If you are not using einkorn, divide the dough into 2 balls. Flour the top of the dough and use a scraper and/or wet hands to flip the dough over. Stretch 1/3 of dough out and fold over. Repeat with the other 3rd. Fold ends up and pinch to form a ball. Place dough, seam side up into a cloth-lined and floured bowl to proof. Let rise for 2 hours, covered, in the fridge.
- Place a Dutch oven into a cold oven and preheat to 450°F for the last 30 minutes of dough rise time.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and flip it onto a piece of parchment paper. Gentle remove any parts of the cloth that are stuck to the dough. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife in the desired pattern. Remove the lid of the Dutch oven and place parchment and bread inside.
- Replace the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes to brown the top of the bread.
- Thump the top of the bread, if it sounds hollow, it’s ready! Allow to cool for at least an hour on a rack or cutting board before cutting.
Notes
Ingredients Overview
- Flour – We use freshly milled einkorn flour for this recipe. You can also use whole wheat einkorn that comes already ground, or you can mill any other type of wheat you’d like. Please note that the finer the flour, the better the finished results will be! Don’t worry about sifting, just grind it finely with your mill or blender/food processor. We like to use a Vitamix for very fine flour.
- Starter – You can use an all-purpose starter or one that has been fed with freshly milled flour. It doesn’t have to be an einkorn starter, just any well-established starter will do. However, a 100% hydration starter works best for this recipe. If your starter is NOT a 100% hydration starter, feed it according to these ratios for creating a 100% hydration einkorn starter before making the recipe.
- Salt – We use various types of sea salt and prefer the taste over table salt, but you can use what you have on hand.
Common Questions
Nutrition
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Love this recipe, thank you!
Is the picture of the cut slices on this page of a loaf made using this exact recipe? That is what I’m trying to achieve and it is not working for me.
Hey there! It’s from a different loaf BUT only because I forgot to take a picture before we ate it all! And I included this one because it’s exactly what the other one looked like. The stretch and folds are very important to the process, but it can be tough as you get started (especially with the low gluten bonds of einkorn).
This post has pictures of the actual loaf and you can see all those nice bubbles: https://www.amodernhomestead.com/einkorn-sourdough-bread/
I would say, keep practicing the stretch and folds and you will see these results also. I will make it again soon and get pictures to share!
Would it be the same instructions if I made it in a loaf pan?
I have not tried this particular recipe in a loaf pan. Typically the bake time is a little different, so I would just keep an eye on it. It shouldn’t be “that” different!
The only major difference is the crust. This is a really lovely hard crust, and you likely don’t want that with a loaf pan loaf. So, I would reduce the temp to 375F and bake until the internal loaf temp is 185F. THEN let it cool completely before cutting, otherwise the bread will be very gummy in texture.
I hope that helps!
probably a silly question, but is it 4 sets of 4 stretch and folds (30 minutes apart) or 2 sets of 4 stretch and folds 30 minutes apart. I guess in other words is this process 1 hour or 2?
Great question, it’s 4 sets of 4 pulls :-)
I followed the instructions strictly and the loaf turned out very well. I would add a little more salt for my taste, though. I found there wasn’t really a “ball” of dough to work with because the dough was very fluid and did not hold a shape when working with it. Luckily, the Dutch oven helps it hold its shape and form a loaf.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the feedback!