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Don’t you love the smell of baking bread?
I think everyone does. There is something warm and comforting about it that lifts your spirits almost immediately.
However, as we have discussed before most bread is NOT FOOD. It is a substance full of fake lab-created ingredients formed together to make your brain THINK it is bread when it most decidedly is NOT. Virtually every fast food restaurant is full of this “bread,” as well as 95% of grocery stores and warehouses in America.
So today I am going to tell you about the original bread that is actually FOOD.
The only original wheat on earth that has survived until this day is called einkorn. All wheat that exists today is a descendant of this ancient grain, but hybridization, cross breeding and genetic engineering have virtually destroyed this original food, all in the name of higher yields or ease of growing.
Einkorn is the only wheat remaining that has never been hybridized, and stands alone as being completely untouched. To this day it only contains two sets of chromosomes, with all modern wheat containing four or six sets. Einkorn, meaning “one grain” in German, describes how each grain is attached individually to the stalk, as opposed to heavy clusters like modern wheat. While this characteristic yields a smaller crop, the crop itself is more nutritious and flavorful.
As Carla Bartolucci says, author of Einkorn, “We first learned to love the plants in the fields for their noble appearance and were then elated to discover that the tiny wheat berries offered a better flavor as well as superior nutrient content and digestibility.”
Einkorn’s gluten is very different from modern wheat. Although the gluten levels in einkorn are equal or even higher than modern wheat (because it is higher in protein), it is the TYPE of gluten that is dramatically different. Gluten in bread is formed when proteins called glutenins and gliadins are combined with water. Einkorn lacks several high molecular weight glutenins and is missing an entire category of gliadins that are present in all other types of wheat. As Carla says, “This is the magic in the supposed flaw of einkorn,” and is why einkorn can be easily tolerated and digested by individuals who are sensitive to regular wheat.
As I have mentioned before, the most healthy and ancient way of making bread is through the process of fermentation, or what is called “sourdough.” This process pre-digests the einkorn using a cultivated “starter” of beneficial bacteria and yeasts to yield a dough that rises on its own.
My family’s favorite einkorn sourdough loaf only contains 4 ingredients: water, sourdough starter, einkorn flour, and sea salt. The dough is thrown together in the evening, left to ferment all night, and then baked in the morning.
Making your own bread may seem daunting, but I promise you, it is a talent that only requires repetition to master. You do not need to be some expert in the kitchen to begin cultivating your own sourdough starter. And once your starter is happy and consistent, you keep it in the fridge and just feed it once a week.
My journey with einkorn began in November 2018. I had decided to join an online group that promised to teach me how to create my own starter and bake my own bread. That group had its benefits, but it wasn’t until I bought Carla’s book and began watching her videos that I had success.
Einkorn, as a completely different wheat, needed a completely different approach. Living in Italy and having a daughter with gluten sensitivity, Carla started her process from the ground up, acquiring einkorn berries from a local farmer and figuring out how to make bread with the grain in her own kitchen, re-thinking everything she knew about baking. Now her company, Jovial Foods, thankfully provides the rest of us with einkorn flour, direct from Italy. And the wisdom she has acquired while working with einkorn is now available to us all.
What will you need to get started?
Follow Carla’s instructions on cultivating your starter. You will want to feed it every day, until it gets nice and bubbly like this:
This can take up to 2 weeks or longer. It really depends on your kitchen. The starter will grab bacteria and yeasts from the air and your skin that will then feed on and digest the einkorn. This means every starter is different in every home. Once your starter is ready, you will need to feed it at least once a week to maintain it. Whenever you use some to make bread, don’t forget to feed some to keep it going. Keep it dark, safe and happy!
I grew my starter for several months before I was ready to attempt baking. My first loaf was a little dense, but absolutely delicious!
I highly recommend starting with Carla’s easiest recipe in her book, called “No-Knead Overnight Artisan Loaf.”
In addition to the items listed above, you will need:
Dutch oven safe to 500 degrees
Round banneton basket with liner
Here is the recipe. Using your kitchen scale, follow her measurements exactly. Here is my summary: In the evening, you will take some of your starter that you fed the night before, add it to your bowl and then pour warm water over it. Mix it well with your kneading tool, then add in your einkorn flour and sprinkle with the salt. Using your tool, mix the salt into the dry flour on top, then mix the entire bowl until your dough is evenly sticky, all the flour is incorporated, and the dough is pulling away slightly from your tool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, put the lid on it, then cover it completely with kitchen towels so no light can shine through. (I use chip clips to keep the towels tight.)
Set this on your countertop at room temp overnight. I will usually ferment mine 12 hours but if you need to let it go longer, just stick it in your fridge after 12-15 hours and bake your bread later in the day.
When you are ready, take your banneton, put the linen liner on, then dust the inside generously with flour - make sure it is all covered. Scrape out all the dough onto a floured countertop. You will then fold the dough into thirds to get it rolled up, then you will rotate it on the surface with your hands until it becomes a tight round loaf. Make sure you watch her video about this (keep in mind this video is about another type of bread called “sourdough boule” so not everything applies to this first easy loaf, but it will teach you how to handle the dough). Continue to add flour to the top of the loaf as you are rotating it or it may stick to the linen. Invert the loaf and then place it in your banneton seam-side up.
Lay linen across the top and let it proof for 30 minutes.
You will pre-heat your oven at 500 degrees with your Dutch oven inside during this time. After 30 minutes, remove your Dutch oven, take the lid off and invert your loaf into it. Let it sit a second, then shake it a bit to get the loaf in the center (but don’t worry if it sticks to the side). Put the cover back on and put back in your oven. Turn your oven down to 450 and set a timer for 40 minutes.
Enjoy the smell!
When your timer goes off, remove the Dutch oven and carefully take out your loaf and cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. (Ok I will admit sometimes we can’t wait that long!)
After you have enjoyed your bread, wrap what is left tightly in Bee’s wrap and stick in a sealed, squeezed out Ziplock bag. This will keep it fresh and soft for several days, if you don’t eat it all in the first sitting!