In this post I’ll introduce you to black einkorn, explain what makes this ancient grain different from the wheat we’re more familiar with, and share my recipe for a 100% wholegrain black einkorn sourdough loaf. Made with just four ingredients it produces a beautifully dark bread with a moist airy crumb

Landrace, heritage, and ancient grains – including einkorn – have fascinated me since I started making sourdough bread over a decade ago. They’re bursting with nutrition, taste amazing, and the farmers that choose to grow them care for our soils and environment.

What is einkorn?

I consider einkorn the ‘daddy’ of all of these ancient grains. It’s one of the earliest domesticated wheat species, cultivated many thousands of years ago. Although it is wheat, it’s very different to modern wheat. It hasn’t gone through the multitude of changes that technology has wrought to the wheat that graces our supermarket shelves these days. Because of this, its genetic makeup is simpler (with 14 chromosomes compared with 42 in modern bread wheat), its nutritional profile is higher and its taste is incomparably better.

What is black einkorn?

I’d been working with wholegrain einkorn in my kitchen for some time when I heard about black einkorn. Used to seeing fields of grain turn from green to the iconic deep harvest gold, I wondered, “What is this black grain?”.

Black varieties of nutritionally-laden ancient grains, rather than being sheathed in light brown covers (called awns), have a black outer layer.

This dark pigmentation is associated with a high level of anthocyanins, an antioxidant compound that you may have come across before in connection with ‘superfoods’ such as blueberries.

I wanted to get my hands on some of the grain and this is where the grain grower Earth Touch in Missouri came in. They sent me some of their black einkorn – which they term blienkorn – and commissioned me to develop a sourdough recipe specially for it.

Seeing the grain, I was surprised to note that the berry itself is not black. It is, however, darker than other einkorns I’ve seen, the grain and flour from black einkorn – termed bleinkorn by Earth Touch – is a beautiful deep brown.

Earth Touch explain that this darkness is honed through their hand curation of the grain:

“We curate kernel by kernel for the darker hulls and awn because that is where the nutrition and richest flavour are. This is the Bleinkorn secret”

And, having baked with this grain, I concur. The sourdough breads I’ve been producing are a mix of beautiful grassy wheat notes and deeper flavours, which remind me of the richness of rye.

Can you make sourdough bread from black einkorn?

Yes…and it’s delicious! My recipe will guide you through how to best handle this beautiful ancient grain to create a sliceable, moist, dark loaf with a cakey crumb and a chewy crust. As you mix, you’ll smell malt and fresh grass notes.

Doughs made with whole-grain ancient wheats behave very differently to conventional white bread doughs. Einkorn is no different – it’s notoriously sticky. By familiarising yourself with my techniques and tips for working with this feature, you can bring out the best in black einkorn, creating a loaf that you’ll love.

A few things to know before you start.

I developed this recipe using freshly milled wholegrain black einkorn flour. If you have a mill you can buy grains from Earth Touch and mill them at home. If you don’t have a mill you can use pre-milled black einkorn flour.

You can use any variety sourdough starter to make this loaf. I use a wholegrain rye starter because I find it easy to work with and reliable. I refresh it the night before baking so that it is active and at its peak when I make the loaf the following morning.

This is a sticky dough. Wet hands and a wet spatula make it much easier to handle. Don’t be tempted to add extra flour simply because it feels sticky. The moisture helps the dough ferment and rise.

Fermentation times depend on the temperature of your kitchen. At around 17°C (62.5°F) you may need as many as six stretch and fold sessions; at around 25°C (77°F), three or four may be enough. Use the dough’s appearance and feel as a guide, rather than relying on only the clock.

I use a lidded Pullman tin measuring approximately 11 x 20 x 11 cm (4.25 × 8 × 4.25 in). I do not preheat it. If your lid has no tin you can cover the loaf with aluminium foil for baking.

Black Einkorn Sourdough Recipe (100% Wholegrain)

Yield: 1 loaf

Timing: Refresh your sourdough starter the night before for an early morning dough mixing and afternoon baking.

Baking tin: lidded Pullman pan, approximately 11 by 20 by 11 cm (4.25 × 8 × 4.25 in).

Ingredients:

500g whole grain black einkorn flour

9g salt

85g active sourdough starter at 100% hydration

375g water

Method:

• Mix the dough: Put the flour into a large bowl, measure in the salt, and mix well. In a separate jug or bowl combine the water and the sourdough starter. Pour this into the flour and salt. Use a spoon to combine – there is no need to mix aggressively, just combine until there is no dry flour left and you have a cohesive, sticky dough. Some of your flour may stick to the sides of the bowl – I find a silicone spatula useful here for scraping down those sides.
• Transfer the dough to a clean bowl: Prepare a second bowl by lightly oiling it (I use olive oil). Return to your dough and, with the help of a silicone spatula, transfer it into the clean, oiled bowl. In order to help familiarise yourself with the progression of the fermentation, lift this second bowl with the dough in and knock the bottom of it, listening to the sound – as fermentation progresses the sound will become hollower.

  

• Begin bulk fermentation: Cover the bowl well with a plate or film and leave the dough to rest for one hour. Then, with a very wet hand, perform a set of stretch and folds – immerse your hand in a container of water first (in order to stop the dough sticking to you) and then lift and stretch a section of the dough gently, folding it into the centre. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat. Do this in total four times.

Watch me stretch and fold the dough:

• Repeat the stretches and folds: Leave the dough for another full hour before stretching and folding again (as the fermentation increases be extra gentle with the stretch and folds as the dough will become more delicate). Continue in this way, stretching and folding hour by hour, watching the dough for signs of fermentation. It will increase in size, feel aerated when you touch it, and if you pick up the bowl and knock the bottom of it, you will hear the sound becoming hollower. With experience you’ll learn how to recognise when your dough is ready. For me, in a kitchen at around 17°C (62.5°F), the dough needs about six sets of stretches and folds; in a warmer kitchen of around 25°C (77°F), three or four are usually enough.

  

• Prepare the tin: Grease the inside of your Pullman tin and dust it lightly with flour.
• Transfer the dough to the tin: This is where water is very important! Wet a clean silicone spatula thoroughly and run it around the sides of the bowl several times. Then, while continuing with this, ease the spatula gently underneath the dough to release it as one piece. With wet hands, carefully lift the dough and gently shape it to fit in the prepared tin. Once in the tin use a wet spatula to level the top.

Watch me putting the loaf into my tin (apologies that the camera is a bit wobbly!)

• Proof the loaf: Cover the tin and leave the dough to proof. At around 17°C (62.5°F) allow approximately two and a half hours; at around 25°C (77°F) it may only take about an hour. These timelines are guides – look for a visible rise in the dough, with less empty space remaining above it in the tin. You can also knock on the bottom of the tin and listen for a hollow sound. As you notice the loaf reaching the end of its proofing time, preheat your oven to 230°C (445°F).
• Bake the loaf: With your fan oven preheated to 230°C (445°F) put the loaf in, ensuring the lid (or foil) is securely on. Bake for 15 minutes. After this time reduce the temperature to 210°C (410°F) and bake for a further 35 minutes, keeping the lid on.
• Check and cool the loaf: When the loaf is fully baked – with an internal temperature of approximately 96°C (205°F), remove it from the tin and place it on a cooling rack. Leave the loaf to cool completely before cutting. This will help the crumb set properly.

How to store black einkorn sourdough

I keep this loaf in a bread bin. In my experience it stays moist for around 5 days (a lot longer than the whole grain spelt loaves I make). If you want to store it for longer than 5 days, it freezes well, either sliced or unsliced.

Frequently asked questions:

What’s the difference between black einkorn and standard einkorn?

Both are ancient grains – einkorn (triticum monococcum) is one of the earliest domesticated wheat species, cultivated thousands of years ago. It has a simpler genetic makeup than modern bread wheat, with 47 chromosomes compared to today’s 42. Black einkorn is a pigmented form of einkorn, with the awns (the outside part of the ear of wheat when it is growing) being black, and the grain itself being darker than normal einkorn.

Do I have to mill this black einkorn myself?

No. I mill my own black einkorn because of the benefits of home-milling but you can use pre-milled whole grain black einkorn flour. The fermentation properties may vary, so do pay attention to your dough’s consistency and sound rather than religiously following timelines.

Why is einkorn dough so sticky?

The gluten in einkorn is different to the gluten in modern wheat. When combined with water it produces stickiness and is delicate. This is not a sign that something has gone wrong. Use my guidelines: wet hands and a wet spatula to work with the dough and resist the temptation to add more flour – the high hydration of this loaf helps with fermentation and rise.

Is einkorn gluten-free?

No. Einkorn is an ancient type of wheat and contains gluten. It is not suitable for people with celiac disease.

Does black einkorn taste different from ordinary einkorn?

This was one of the things I wanted to explore when I developed this recipe. Black einkorn sourdough has a distinctive deep flavour. It smells malty when you’re fermenting it and, when baked, the resulting dark loaf has the flavours of grassy wheat mixed with rich darker notes of rye.

Can I use black einkorn in an ordinary einkorn sourdough recipe?

My experience with baking with ancient grains leads me to say that it’s reasonable to experiment with black einkorn in existing sourdough recipes built for standard einkorn. Every flour, even within the same grain type, can act very differently so use your senses to judge fermentation and proofing times rather than the clock.

Do I have to use an einkorn sourdough starter with einkorn sourdough bread?

No. This recipe uses a wholegrain rye sourdough starter. If you want to keep your loaf 100% wholegrain, use a wholegrain starter. If you’re not bothered about it being 100% wholegrain, any starter can be used. You do not need to maintain a separate einkorn starter for this recipe.

Can I make a 100% wholegrain einkorn sourdough loaf without a loaf tin?

It is possible, but a freestanding loaf is more difficult because the dough acts differently to modern wheat and, to get a good rise, needs high hydration. This is why my recipe uses a loaf tin and I would recommend using a loaf tin for 100% wholegrain einkorn breads.

Why does my wholegrain black einkorn sourdough loaf not rise as much as my other sourdough loaves?

100% wholegrain loaves are very different to the white loaves our society is used to. Wholegrain breads do not rise as much as white breads because of the bran in their mixture. This wholegrain black einkorn bread rises well, encouraged by a high hydration (at 75%). The crust is softer than other ancient grains I have worked with and although there is a good rise, it doesn’t usually burst.

Acknowledgements

This recipe was commissioned by Earth Touch, who supplied the Missouri-grown black einkorn used in its development. The recipe method and tasting notes reflect my own work and experience baking with the grain.

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Wholegrain Rye Sourdough Crackers Recipe

5 Reasons to Start Baking with Ancient Grains

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