Einkorn flour is not the easiest flour to work with. I’ve now made four batches of bread using this flour and one was ok, one was a total failure, another fine, and this most recent batch, with my own percentages, is the best. It’s a 44% einkorn loaf, so you don’t get quite as much of the advantage of this heirloom grain, but it’s better than nothing! And it gives a nice depth and beauty to the bread, as well!
Levain (or just make sure you have enough of your starter to spare)
- 35g starter
- 35g all purpose flour
- 35g wheat, rye, or einkorn flour
- 70g room temperature water
Dough
- 500g bread flour
- 400g einkorn flour
- 685g room temperature water
- 175g levain
- 18g sea salt
Process
Early morning prepare the levain in a glass or plastic container. Cover lightly and set in a warm place (I use my oven with the heat off but the light on).
About 90 minutes before you expect the levain starts to be doubled, begin your autolyse by mixing the two flours and 660g of room temperature water. Fully incorporate the water and flour. It may seems a little drier than you expect. Einkorn works oddly. It will get looser over time. Allow the flour and water mix to sit for 90 minutes near your starter (in the same warm place).
After the 90 minute autolyse, add the levain and 15g of water and fold in. Rubaud knead gently for 1 minute. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Next, add the salt and the last 10g of water. Rubaud knead for 1 minute, then rest for 15.
Begin your stretch and folds. After the first one, do another in 15 minutes, and then 3 more at 30 min intervals.
Set your dough aside to finish the bulk rise for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You only want to allow this to rise about 25-30% When it’s done it should be showing signs of fermentation and bubbling and have gotten looser looking (I completely forgot to take pictures!). Divide into two pieces and shape into a round. I won’t try to describe how to do that here, but this page is an excellent resource! Rest 20 minutes, final shape, and then place in a well-floured (seriously, this dough requires it to be well floured) or cloth-lined batard/basket/bowl. If it gets too lax to wait for 20 minutes, just go ahead and final shape.
Place in the fridge, covered, overnight. I use a very large plastic bag that I trap some air in so it won’t stick to the bread.
In the morning, preheat the oven to 500* with your dutch oven inside for a full hour (or 450 if you are using a clay or stone baker). Take the bread from the fridge, tip out onto a piece of parchment, score, and place in your dutch oven. Bake 20 minutes with the lid on at 500* and then another 30 with the lid off at 450* (or 25 with lid on and 30 with lid off if you are starting at the lower temp).
If you give it a try, let me know!
