If you're looking for the best einkorn flour white bread recipe that has a soft and light texture while still being strong enough to hold up to a sturdy filling, look no further!
This recipe for einkorn milk and honey bread uses the Tangzhong method to create a fluffy sandwich bread that can be sliced as thin as you want!
While I am no stranger to einkorn breads, like my no knead einkorn sandwich bread and my einkorn sourdough bread, I have been striving for 6 years to crack the secret to a light and airy sandwich bread.
You see, while einkorn is amazing for many reasons, it does naturally create a more dense finished product due to the fact that there is less gluten in the wheat.
As a result, einkorn bread is more like a country loaf and less like that seemingly weightless white bread you can buy at the store.
The only problem is, that weightless white bread is what we grew up on, and it's what we are used to!
Soft Einkorn Flour Sandwich Bread with Tangzhong
After years of research and trying all sorts of different bread making techniques, I had almost given up the idea that a yeast based einkorn bread could be light and fluffy, while still being sturdy enough to hold up to any type of filling.
I had achieved amazing results with sourdough, but for those times when I just wanted a quick bread option, I really needed a yeast bread recipe.
Then a few weeks ago I discovered Tangzhong.
What is Tangzhong?
Tangzhong is a Japanese method of pre-gelatinizing the starch before baking with it, thus causing it to hold more liquid during the baking process, which in turn results in a soft yet sturdy bread!
When I read that description, I knew I had to try it!
Before you worry that this is going to be too much effort for your einkorn sandwich bread, let me reassure you of a few things:
- It add only a few minutes to the overall process
- It's as easy as making gravy (if you've ever done that)
- It is 100% worth the minimal extra effort to produce such a soft, fluffy, light, and slice-able white bread loaf!
Essentially, Tangzhong is a roux, though a weak one. Instead of equal parts fat and flour, you are using 1 part flour, 3 parts water. Whisk until smooth, then cook over medium heat until the roux thickens.
From there just cool the Tangzhong in the fridge for a few hours before using!
The Tangzhong does keep covered in the fridge for a few days, so you can make it a bit in advance if you'd like.
Tips for The Best Einkorn White Bread
There are a few notes I want to make about this recipe to help ensure that you are getting the very best einkorn white bread results!
Tip One: Weigh Your Tangzhong
This proved to be a very important step. You know that I loathe weighing my ingredients. I'm a Southern chef and we like to "sprinkle and dash" our way through life.
However, for this recipe, weighing the Tangzhong is the key to the light and fluffy texture.
While the flour can be a little bit more or less without issues, the Tangzhong really needs to be weighed!
Tip Two: Don't Use Whole Wheat
Since the goal here is to make a light and fluffy white bread recipe, using whole wheat flour is not going to provide the best results.
You can of course still use whole wheat if you want, but it's not going to be a "white bread" loaf in the end.
If you do use whole wheat, you will need to add half the flour, mix, then add more until it gets to the right consistency. A very thick cake batter, but not tough or hard.
This generally ends up being "a little less" than the measurement in the recipe.
Tip Three: Let the Loaf Cool!
This step is another crucial one! If you are too excited to try your new white bread loaf, and you cut it before it's cooled well, then it will completely fall apart!
Wait at least 30-45 minutes after removing it from the pan before cutting.
Then you can slice the bread as needed, or you can slice the entire loaf.
Either way, store it in a plastic bag for up to 5 days at room temperature. Or a week in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
Einkorn White Bread with Tangzhong
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong
- 1/3 cup einkorn flour
- 1 cup water
For the Bread
- 2 ½ cups einkorn flour
- 2 tbsp honey (or less to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 packet instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 2 eggs
- 6.5 Tbsp milk
- 120 g tangzhong be sure to measure this
- 3 tbsp butter, room temp
- butter or oil for rising bowl
Instructions
Tangzhong:
- Place water and flour in a heavy bottom pan, whisk thoroughly until there are no more lumps.
- Continue whisking constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and reaches 165°. This happens very quickly, so be aware!
- Pour Tangzhong into a bowl and let it cool, covered, at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Making the Bread:
- Add all wet ingredients (EXCEPT butter) to bowl of an electric mixer - whisk until smooth (I do this by hand)
- Add dry ingredients to the wet mix, and mix with a dough hook until just combined. Add butter and mix again until smooth.
- Pour batter into a greased bowl and cover. Let rise for about 60 minutes.
- Flour a surface and remove dough from bowl. Using wet hands, pull the 4 sides of the bread and fold it over on itself. (This is the same technique I use for my einkorn sourdough sandwich bread)
- Wet hands again and scoop bread up gently, place in a greased bread pan. I use a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 USA pan.
- Cover with a towel and let rise for another 30-40 minutes. Be careful not to over rise. If the dough top is starting to look dry, stop rising and go ahead and bake it!
- Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown.
- Remove from oven and butter the top of the bread. Remove from pan and cool for 30 minutes to an hour before slicing.
- Store in a bread bag for 3-5 days on the counter, or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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Maureen Ley says
Hi! You say how important it is to weigh the Tangzhong, but I’m not seeing the weighing step in the recipe. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Victoria says
Hi Maureen! Thanks for your question :-) the weight measurement for the Tangzhong is listed in the ingredients list, and thus implied that you will measure before adding it to the mix. Sorry for the confusion!
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Maureen Ley says
Sorry, I went back and did see it, thanks! I made this and the dough was extremely wet – more like a cake batter. I know I measured everything accurately. In fact, I converted to weight. In checking other recipes, they generally use less liquid and more flour than yours. I did add a bit more flour, but it came out sunken. The taste was great…appearance not so much. I need to fiddle with this…like I said, it tasted great.
Victoria says
Hi Maureen! Glad you were able to try it. I don’t recommend converting my recipes to weight, unless they are written that way, because they don’t usually work out the same way since I tend to use a scoop and rake method for measuring.
And you’re right, the batter is definitely more wet than a non-einkorn bread recipe and just needs to be poured into the pan. I’m glad it tasted great! Hopefully the next time you make it it won’t sink!
ellybb says
I have adapted this fantastic method / recipe for bread machine. (I’m too disabled to make bread by hand, even easy no knead bread. I can’t do the extra dishes or the moving of the ingredients or dough around.) I like how the tangzhong is just enough for 2 loaves!
I have made it 3 times so far and have enjoyed all three versions. I tinker with the milk with water as substitute. I use half honey half sugar. I may try one with egg whites only.
I add the wet ingredients except butter into the pan of my KitchenArm SMART 29-in-1 bread machine (programmable, $58-98 on Amazon).
I tilt pan and mix by hand around paddle with a fork.
I have it programmed on custom homemade cycle 29 as follows:
Preheat – 0 minutes
Knead 1 – 4 minutes; Rest 1 – 3 minutes
(When Rest 1 starts, I add the butter and mix it a little by hand, then walk away until time to take out of machine)
Knead 2 – 4 minutes; Rest 2 – 30 minutes
Knead 3 – 0 minutes; Rest 3 – 30 minutes
Knead 4 – 3 minutes;
Rise 1 – 35 minutes
Rise 2 – 0 minutes
Rise 3 – 0 minutes
Bake – 33 minutes
Keep Warm – 0 minutes.
Total 2 hours 22 minute = 142 minutes programmed.
Victoria says
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! I’m so glad it’s working well for you! We love it too!
Mary Jane Van De Boom says
I am interested in using te Einhorn flour in my bread machine. Your recipe is not very clear for that.
Victoria says
Hi Mary Jane! Yes, this is not a bread machine recipe, however I do have an einkorn flour bread machine recipe here! Enjoy!
Dawn says
Could you use your sourdough starter instead of yeast? if so how much starter or would you have to start with a levin?
Victoria says
Hi Dawn! I have not tried it with sourdough starter, but if you wanted to I would recommend a 1/2 cup at 100% hydration.
Let me know if you try it!
Kim says
Hi Victoria,
Is this recipe for the all-purpose Einkorn flour? I have the sprouted Einkorn, so should I use Tip Two for this?
Thank you for your time and help.
Victoria says
Hi Kim, yes, it sounds like tip two would be perfect for you! Let me know how it goes!
ileana says
Extraordinary, beautifully explained and easy to follow, not to mention the devastatingly delicious result! Bravo and many thanks! Now, to stop eating slice after pillowy slice with cream cheese…
Victoria says
Thank you, Ileana! So glad you enjoyed it!