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Einkorn sourdough

ostpreussen's picture
ostpreussen

Einkorn sourdough

First post from a long time reader........So I tried a variation on Reinhardts sourdough by substituting close to 50% einkorn (by weight.)  It turned out pretty good, although the crumb is a tad underdone for my liking. I have another one in the dutch oven as I type this and will let it bake a bit longer than the last one.  The crust turned out very nice, and the crumb has that particular nuttiness from the einkorn.  So far I am very excited about this variety of grain.  I think I may try a 100% version....any tips?

 

 

 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

I tore it apart and baked the crumbs in the oven... toasting and drying them out.  They made great cereal that tasted a lot like "Grape Nuts" and was great with milk.  Also as topping over cobblers.  

I find it takes a long time to break down the dough matrix so you might want to proof longer too.  

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Einkorn is difficult until you know how to handle it. Less is more!

Your loaf looks lovely and delicious. 

First of all appreciate it's never going to be like any other grain you've tried. 

Haven't done einkorn in a while but have, with trial and error, found a formula which works well for me. 

Einkorn doesn't like to be handled so treat it that way. 

 

The formula...

Wholegrain Einkorn flour 100% 

Final hydration 70%

Salt 2%

Starter 20% (variable depending on how much starter you wish to use)

 

I've given the water as a final hydration as it depends on the hydration of your starter and how much starter. Whatever the case the final hydration is 70%.

Thoroughly mix till a sticky dough is formed. 

Cover and bulk ferment till ready. Holes will begin appearing on top.

Portion it out into a prepared loaf pan and smooth over with the back of a wet spoon (like a Rye loaf). Final proof till one or two holes begin appearing on top then bake in a preheated oven. 

Ford's picture
Ford

Test the internal temperature.  It should be 195+°F, (91+°C).

Ford

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

in 10% add ins to other breads just to get rid if it and at a gazillion dollars a pound it is outrageously expensive.   They must think it is a drug or possibly gold.   If ind the taste a bit bitter but it is fine if you use it it in small enough portions where you can't taste it:-)  I can't say I hate it but it is still too much if a good thing.......

I used to bake my SD breads to 202 F but they wee too wet and baking them more boldly to 206-208 F cured that problem plus it makes the crust more crusty and better tasting as well - Brown food tastes good as Anne Burrell says.

Your loaf looks grand on the outside and MO knows her Einkorn bread to help fix the inside.

Well done and happy  baking

kendalm's picture
kendalm

Made one batch at 100% and really disliked everything about it - its mushyness, flavor, stickyness, crumb just about everything and then its marketed as some kind of savior from modern technology and the evils that exist in even homemade bread. Weird stuff !

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

All those issues with Einkorn disappear. Treat einkorn like rye.

bread1965's picture
bread1965

Your bloom looks great. would love to try one some day.. yet another bake on the bucket list.. well done! bake happy.. bread1965!

BobBoule's picture
BobBoule

is a huge challenge, I have been baking exclusively with 100% Einkorn for several years now and during the first two years I found it to be a tricky beast. Its very dense, and does not have a lot of strength to rise very well so I run it at 68% to 80% hydration otherwise it comes out too dense. A screamingly hot dutch oven gives it as much rise as I can get (preheated to 500 degrees F) and give it a very good rest when I take it out of the oven (it seems to set very slowly). Good luck and lets us know of your successes.

albacore's picture
albacore

So a 50% Einkorn / 50% rye dough could just be my worst nightmare!

Lance

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Doing a 50:50 einkorn and rye but following a 100% Rye recipe allowing for differences in timing should work very well. 

I don't find einkorn too difficult especially since I stopped trying to treat it like normal wheat. In fact I treat it more like rye.  

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Rye and Einkorn only yet... I am so used to blending with spelt,  but the long working time on Einkorn might just be the ticket to lengthen the working time with rye.  But both of them at 100% use forms,  This ought to be interesting...

I do suggest if making an 100% einkorn loaf to take the 5 or 6 days to make an einkorn sourdough starter.  

I am up for a challenge using a rye starter.   50% of each eh?  (gulp)  

albacore's picture
albacore

I've got the name: Reinkorn!

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

Bit of a funny shape due to the container I baked it in. Here is an end I've just tried. Einkorn can be a pleasure to make if you don't treat it like a normal wheat.

lenb's picture
lenb

I tried 100% whole grain einkorn using 70% hydration, and trying to follow the method you outlined above.  As you see below, I was not entirely successful.

Built a levain at night (120g starter@100%, 240g einkorn, 200g water).  Bubbling nicely in the AM.

Incorporated levain into dough with 430g Einkorn, 242 water, 10g salt.

Bulk fermentation (about 5 hours) until bubbles appear.

Moved to loaf pan, and waited for bubbles to reappear. 

Since my loaf pan fits in my dutch oven, I baked it in the DO @ 485 to start, reduced to 450F until internal temperature reached 205, but sadly it looked nothing like yours.  I did minimal handling of the dough, no kneading or stretch/folds, per your previous comment.  I was using home milled whole grain flour,

The flavor was interesting, and I'm very curious what it would be like if I could get a crumb like you show.  

I'm thinking that using the DO was a mistake, but would appreciate any suggestions about how to modify my process for the next go.  Thanks.

 

100% Einkorn

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

I like your einkorn loaf. It does improve over time just like rye I find. You have a nice crumb and colour. 

We might be using different einkorn flour. I use English einkorn which has lower protein than the North American grown einkorn and I think the mineral content is different too. Apart from my bad photography distorting the colour a tad I do think the protein differences and the seemingly higher mineral content contributes to the crumb and colour differences. I can only go by he nutritional value I've seen on the North American brands and from videos/recipes on how it handles. 

Here is an einkorn loaf I did a while back. It was a better success then this one and the recipe is more fully explained. Feel free to ask me anything...

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/49433/100-wholegrain-organic-einkorn-sourdough-tangzhong