Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
If you are having a hard time baking with 100% fresh-milled einkorn, then I made this einkorn sourdough bread for beginners (which means you don't need to be an experienced sourdough baker). It's a simple 50% fresh-milled sourdough loaf made with freshly milled einkorn flour, all-purpose flour, active sourdough starter, water, and salt - just to give you a little bit of a challenge, but still gives you an amazing loaf that's failproof!
If you are ready to try more fresh-milled einkorn recipes, you can also save my 100% fresh-milled einkorn sourdough bread and the easiest fresh milled einkorn sourdough bread (loaf pan method).
Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 4-5 hours
- Final Proof: 3 hours (cold proof) or 1-2 hours at room temperature
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 1 loaf (about 10-12 slices)
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Baking Method: Dutch Oven
- Best For: Breakfast, Sandwiches, Toast, Snacks, Everyday Baking
Jump to:
- Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
- Other Delicious Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Fresh Milled Sourdough Recipes You'll Love
- The Easiest Fresh Milled Einkorn Sourdough Bread (Loaf Pan Method)
- 100% Fresh-Milled Einkorn Sourdough Bread
- Fresh Milled Sourdough English Muffins (Same Day or Overnight)
Important Ingredients
- freshly milled einkorn flour gives the bread its mild flavor and adds the benefits of using freshly milled grain.
- all-purpose or bread Flour helps give the dough more strength and makes it easier to handle, but still keeps it soft!
- active sourdough starter helps the bread rise and adds the classic sourdough flavor.
- water hydrates the flour and brings the dough together.
- fine sea salt enhances the flavor and helps strengthen the dough.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can replace all-purpose flour gram for gram with bread flour. Bread flour may give the dough a little more strength.
- The recipe uses 200 g of freshly milled einkorn flour. For your first few loaves, I recommend keeping the 50/50 ratio because it makes the dough easier to handle.
- Rice flour can also be used when generously flouring the tea towel and banneton to help prevent sticking.
- For longer cold proof, you can refrigerate the shaped loaf for up to 24 hours for a more sour flavor. Keep in mind that a longer proof may result in a loaf with slightly less structure.
- If you don't want to cold proof the dough, let it proof at room temperature for about 1-2 hours and bake it the same day.
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How to Make Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
Step 1: Add the freshly milled einkorn flour, all-purpose flour, water, active starter, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly until no dry flour remains and the starter and salt are evenly dispersed (Image 1) - the mixing takes about 3 minutes by hand, You can use a mixer if you want to, but you won't get a nice ball of dough out of it. Cover airtight and rest for 30 minutes.
Step 2: With wet hands, perform one set of gentle stretch and folds by lifting and folding each of the four sides toward the center (Image 2). Cover and repeat after 30 minutes. Do a third set after another 30 minutes if you have time.
Step 3: Cover and continue bulk fermentation until the dough looks puffier and smoother, has risen roughly 30-50%, and shows bubbles around the sides (Image 3). Bulk fermentation usually takes 4-5 hours total, counted from the moment the starter was added (so that's including your stretch and folds!).
Step 4: Generously flour a tea towel and use it to line a banneton basket (and I mean generously! This dough is on the sticky side, so make sure to use enough flour here). Generously flour the work surface too and turn out the dough. Fold the outer edges toward the center to form a rough round or oval, handling the dough as little as possible (Image 4). Transfer the loaf to the prepared banneton with the seam facing up. Cover airtight.
Step 5: For the preferred short cold proof, refrigerate for about three hours. Alternatively, proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours and bake the same day, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours for a more sour loaf with slightly less structure (Image 5).
Step 6: Place the Dutch oven and lid in the oven and preheat to 460°F (238°C) for about 15-30 minutes. Turn the dough onto parchment paper, score the top (I usually just draw a cross) (Image 6), and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 460°F (238°C) for 30 minutes.
Step 7: Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 440°F (227°C), and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until deeply golden brown and about 205°F (96°C) in the center. Transfer the bread to a wire rack (Image 7) and cool for at least two hours before slicing.
Hint: Use plenty of flour when preparing the banneton. This dough is sticky, and einkorn has a more delicate gluten structure than regular wheat flour. Generously flour both the tea towel and the basket to make turning the dough out much easier.
Baking Schedule
- 8:00 AM - mix einkorn flour, all-purpose flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt
- 8:30 AM - do the first gentle stretch and fold
- 9:00 AM - do the second stretch and fold
- 9:30 AM - do a third stretch and fold if needed, then continue bulk fermentation
- 12:30 PM - check dough for a 30-50% rise and bubbles around the sides
- 12:45 PM - shape the dough and place it in the generously floured banneton
- 1:00 PM - refrigerate for the short cold proof
- 4:00 PM - preheat dutch oven and oven to 460°F (238°C)
- 4:30 PM - turn out, score, and bake the loaf covered
- 5:00 PM - remove the lid, lower oven to 440°F (227°C), and continue baking
- 5:10-5:15 PM - remove bread from oven and transfer to a wire rack
- 7:15 PM - slice and enjoy after cooling for at least 2 hours
💭Crucial Success Tips
Don't wait for the dough to double. Einkorn dough can be easy to over-ferment. A 30% rise, a puffier appearance, and bubbles around the sides are good signs that bulk fermentation is ready to move on!
Recipe FAQs
That's normal. Einkorn has a fragile gluten structure and behaves differently from regular wheat flour. Avoid adding lots of extra flour to the dough. Instead, use wet hands during folds and generously flour your work surface and banneton when shaping.
Yes. You can replace the 200 g of all-purpose flour with 200 g of bread flour. The bread flour may give the dough slightly more strength.
Yes. You can refrigerate the shaped loaf for up to 24 hours. A longer cold proof can give the bread a more sour flavor, but the loaf may lose a little structure compared with the shorter three-hour chill.
How To Store Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
Let the loaf cool completely for at least two hours before storing it. Once cooled, keep it at room temperature in a bread bag, paper bag, or loosely covered container for a few days.
For longer storage, slice the bread and freeze it in an airtight freezer bag or container. You can take out individual slices as needed and toast them straight from frozen.
Try not to store sourdough bread in the refrigerator, as the cold temperature can make the crumb become stale more quickly. Room temperature or the freezer works better for keeping the bread enjoyable.
Other Delicious Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
- The Easiest Fresh Milled Einkorn Sourdough Bread (Loaf Pan Method)
- Fresh Milled Sourdough English Muffins (Same Day or Overnight)
- Cinnamon Roll Sourdough French Toast
If you tried this einkorn sourdough bread for beginners (50% fresh milled) or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Einkorn Sourdough Bread for Beginners (50% Fresh Milled)
Ingredients
- 200 g freshly milled einkorn flour
- 200 g all-purpose flour or bread flour
- 280 g water room temperature
- 150 g active sourdough starter
- 8 g fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add the freshly milled einkorn flour, all-purpose flour, water, active starter, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly until no dry flour remains and the starter and salt are evenly dispersed - the mixing takes about 3 minutes by hand, You can use a mixer if you want to, but you won't get a nice ball of dough out of it. Cover airtight and rest for 30 minutes.
- With wet hands, perform one set of gentle stretch and folds by lifting and folding each of the four sides toward the center. Cover and repeat after 30 minutes. Do a third set after another 30 minutes if you have time.
- Cover and continue bulk fermentation until the dough looks puffier and smoother, has risen roughly 30-50%, and shows bubbles around the sides. Bulk fermentation usually takes 4-5 hours total, counted from the moment the starter was added (so that's including your stretch and folds!).
- Generously flour a tea towel and use it to line a banneton basket (and I mean generously! This dough is on the sticky side, so make sure to use enough flour here). Generously flour the work surface too and turn out the dough. Fold the outer edges toward the center to form a rough round or oval, handling the dough as little as possible. Transfer the loaf to the prepared banneton with the seam facing up. Cover airtight.
- For the preferred short cold proof, refrigerate for about three hours. Alternatively, proof at room temperature for 1-2 hours and bake the same day, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours for a more sour loaf with slightly less structure.
- Place the Dutch oven and lid in the oven and preheat to 460°F (238°C) for about 15-30 minutes. Turn the dough onto parchment paper, score the top (I usually just draw a cross), and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 460°F (238°C) for 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid, lower the temperature to 440°F (227°C), and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until deeply golden brown and about 205°F (96°C) in the center. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool for at least two hours before slicing.
Notes
- Bulk fermentation begins as soon as you add the starter. The initial rest and stretch and folds are included in the 4-5 hours.
- Bread flour can replace the all-purpose flour gram for gram and may give the dough slightly more strength.
- The dough will be sticky and more delicate than regular white sourdough dough. That is normal, because the gluten structure of einkorn is very fragile.
- A short, approximately three-hour chill (as a second rise) makes the loaf much easier to turn out and score.
- A cold proof of up to 24 hours works, but the loaf may be more sour and may lose a little structure.
- This recipe yields a softer, tighter crumb and a loaf that is not quite as tall as regular white sourdough, but it's very flavorful!
