Lis’s Einkorn Sourdough Process

This is the process I have come up with for Einkorn Sourdough, living in an extremely low humidity environment at high altitude. I am happy to discuss where you might need to make adjustments for your own environment. Sourdough is a process. Don't expect it to go perfectly every time. Loaves that don't rise are still delicious.

Einkorn makes a denser loaf than traditional American flours. I am happy with this as I generally don't like store bought bread.

Starter:

20 grams starter

50 grams warm water

10 grams rye flour (higher protein in the starter)

10 grams whole wheat spelt

10 grams whole wheat einkorn

20 grams all-purpose spelt

20 grams all-purpose einkorn

Caveats:

• This creates a very stiff starter that can be used with any and all of the above flours, in any ratio. I mix it up at night, set it on the counter, and it is ready to bake with in the morning.

• If I want to add in an additional flour type, Khorasan (Kamut) is next on my list, I would add 10 more grams of water and 20 grams of that flour for 2 weeks before using that type of flour.

• You can remove any of these flours, but I would feed 20g starter, 50g water, 70g flour to bake with 100g starter and have a little left over to feed for the next round.

• If I am not going to make another loaf the next day, I feed the leftover starter and put it in the fridge. Then I can take it out the night before I want to start my next loaf, place it on the counter, and mix the dough in the morning.

• Do not leave starter sitting out, unfed, for more than 24 hours as it will start to taste acidic and effect the rise of your bread.

Sourdough Dough Mix:

100 grams starter

270 grams warm water

150 grams whole wheat einkorn flour

350 grams all-purpose einkorn flour

>>>or 500 grams all purpose einkorn flour

10 grams salt

1. In a Steel or Glass or Ceramic bowl, mix together starter and water.

2. Add the flour

3. Add the salt

4. Mix it all together.

5. Cover and let sit on the counter for 2 hours to allow the flour to absorb all the water. Einkorn takes longer to absorb water than standard flour or spelt flour.

6. Scraping the bowl as you go, fold and press the dough until it form a smooth ball. It should stop being as sticky, but may still be a bit sticky. This is OK.

7. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

8. Start your stretch and folds. I pick up the ball (scraping the bowl) and pull the dough a part (not tearing) as far as I can, then fold it over. From the opposite direction pull again and fold it over again. I do 4-6 of these each time. The dough should get tougher to pull as you go. This is good. Let the dough sit, covered, for 30 minutes. Repeat process 4-6 times.

9. Once done, let the dough sit until it starts to rise a bit, no more than double in size.

10. 
    

11. Once doubled, I scrape the dough into my hands, and shape it to container I am using. I use a cloth lined oval banneton. You can use a bowl (smooth cotton or linen towel) for a round loaf, or a loaf pan for an oblong loaf.

12. At this point, I put the loaf in a large plastic bag that seals with a wet paper towel and set it in the fridge. It will stay in the fridge for 12-36 hours.

Caveats:

• I live at 7,300 feet of elevation on a climate with 5-25% humidity, so the wet paper towel helps keep the dough moist.

• The longer it sits in the fridge (cold proofing), the more sour the bread is. I like it sour.

• Cold proofing is optional. Once the dough has doubled in size, you can go ahead and bake it if you want to.

My Baking Process:

Preheat the oven to 450*F with the dutch oven inside, and let the dutch oven sit in there for 45 minutes to an hour so the dutch oven is hot too.

Get all the tools you need ready. Scorer or sharp knife or razor blade. 1 cup cold water. Sourdough sling or parchment paper to go in the bottom (so the bread doesn’t burn).

1. Get the hot dutch oven and lid out of the oven.

2. Put the parchment paper or sling in the dutch oven.

3. Get the dough out of the fridge, dump it in the dutch oven.

4. Score the top of the loaf. For a round loaf I an X from end to end. For an oval loaf I do a center cut lengthwise with angled cuts perpendicular to it. Depth of cuts is approximately 1-2 mm, not too deep.

5. Poor the water under the parchment paper or sling.

6. Put the lid on immediately.

7. Bake at 450*F for 30 minutes.

8. Set the temperature to 400*F.

9. Remove the lid.

10. Bake at 400*F, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

11. Remove from oven.

12. Remove the loaf from the dutch oven and place it on a rack.

13. Allow the loaf to cool before slicing it.

Alternative Baking Process with a Loaf Pan (no dutch oven):

If I am using a loaf pan to bake, I grease (with good butter) the loaf pan before cold proofing the dough, and use a matching (also greased) loaf pan as a lid.

1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.

2. Put a pie dish of water in a lower rack.

3. Put the covered loaf pan in the oven.

4. Bake at 450*F for 30 minutes.

5. Set the temperature to 400*F.

6. Remove the top (covering) loaf pan.

7. Bake at 400*F for 10 minutes.

8. Set the loaf pan on a rack and let cool before removing it from the pan.