Fresh-Milled Einkorn Sourdough Bread Recipe

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This fresh-milled Einkorn sourdough bread recipe is 100% whole grain—and soft, chewy, and delicious. The dough is made one day and baked the next, creating a subtle tang, crusty exterior, and beautiful oven spring.

What Is Fresh-Milled Einkorn?

Einkorn, known as the original wheat, is one of the oldest and purest grains.

Unlike modern wheat, selective breeding hasn’t altered it, making it naturally lower in gluten and richer in vitamins and minerals.

Fresh-milled einkorn is simply whole einkorn wheat ground just before use, keeping all parts of the wheat berry—endosperm, germ, and bran—intact.

That means it’s 100% whole grain and packed with nutrition.

While store-bought all-purpose einkorn is still healthier than white flour, it’s sifted and not truly whole grain.

If you are new to milling flour, be sure to check out my fresh-milled flour starter guide!

Ingredients

Einkorn Flour: For this recipe, I used einkorn wheat berries from Azure Standard. You can use store-bought all-purpose einkorn flour, but you may need to adjust the hydration.

Sourdough Starter: Starter is what ferments the grains and leavens the dough. New to sourdough? Learn how to make a sourdough starter here!

Get the full list of ingredients and measurements on the printable recipe card below.

Tools You’ll Need

• Grain Mill: You will need a grain mill to make the flour. I use a Mockmill 200 Professional. Popular brands also include Nutrimill and KoMo.

• Dutch Oven: Baking in a cast iron Dutch oven creates better oven spring (aka final rise). My favorite for baking bread is the Lodge combo cooker.

• Plastic Bench Scraper: Einkorn dough is particularly clingy. A plastic bench scraper can help remove it from the bowl without ruining all of those precious bubbles.

• Banneton Basket: Einkorn needs extra support to hold its rise. After testing different baskets, I found a 7-inch banneton works best—that’s what I used for the bread in the photos.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Dough

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water. Mix with a Danish dough whisk or wooden spoon until combined.

Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Add the starter and salt to the flour mixture. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined and no dry ingredients are in the bowl. The dough will may seem stiff at this point, which is normal.

Cover with a damp towel and set aside for 1 hour.

Step 3: Generously flour a clean counter with einkorn flour.

Use a plastic bench scraper to loosen the dough from the edges of the bowl and turn out the dough onto the floured work surface. Flour the top of the dough.

Step 4: Start with one side of the dough, gently stretch it outward and fold over toward the center. I find it helpful to lightly press on the center of the dough with one hand and pull with the other.

Repeat the folds on all four sides of the dough. Return the dough to the bowl and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Then, repeat the folds, return the dough to the bowl, and cover with a damp towel.

Step 5: After the second round of folds, cover the dough with a damp towel and allow it to ferment in bulk until it has risen by 20%- 30% or until it is domed on top.

This can take around 3-5 hours depending on the room temperature and strength of your starter.

Step 6: Generously flour the countertop. Use a plastic bench scraper to help you turn out the dough onto the floured counter. Try not to deflate the dough.

Use your hands to turn the dough into a tight ball.

Note: It’s normal for this dough to have a stiffer consistency than other bread doughs.

Step 7: Smooth a little flour on top of the dough. Then, transfer the dough ball FACE DOWN into a floured 7″ banneton basket or towel-lined bowl.

Gently pinch the left and right sides together. Then, pinch the top and bottom together. This creates tension and a nice seam.

Step 8: Cover with plastic (I like to use a plastic shopping bag), and stick in the fridge for 12-15 hours.

The Next Day

Step 9: Preheat the oven to 500° F with a cast iron Dutch oven inside.

Once the oven is preheated and the Dutch oven is scorching hot, turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper.

Using a bread lame, score the top of the dough, no deeper than 1/4″.

Step 10: Drop the oven temp to 450° F and transfer the dough to the Dutch oven. Bake for 40 minutes covered.

Then, take off the lid and bake for another 5 minutes. Bread is generally considered “done” at an internal temperature of 190-200° F.

Step 11: Remove from Dutch oven and let cool to room temp on a wire rack.

Video Tutorial – Einkorn Sourdough Bread

Follow along step-by-step as I make einkorn sourdough bread and share tips along the way.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. New videos come out weekly.

Tips for Success

• Use a 7″ Banneton Basket: This size banneton basket has taller sides and supports the dough, giving you a fuller, taller loaf.

• Mill Extra Flour: I always mill a little extra einkorn to sprinkle on the counter and top of the dough so it’s easier to handle.

• Same-Day or Overnight Proof: I prefer cold proofing einkorn sourdough because it develops more flavor. However, you can skip the cold proofing. Just shape it and let it rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour in the banneton before baking.

• Autolyze: Einkorn absorbs water more slowly than white flour, so don’t skip letting the flour and water rest.

• Watch the Dough: Focus on the dough, not the clock. Fresh-milled flour ferments faster than store-bought flour, so the bulk fermentation may finish sooner, depending on your starter and temperature.

Working with Einkorn Dough

• Expect a Clingy Dough: Einkorn tends to be stickier and clingier than other dough. Transfer it using a plastic bench scraper and sprinkle it with a little flour to handle it without making a mess.

• Hydration: Einkorn has less gluten and can’t handle high hydration. Though it might be tempting to add more water, try to resist unless your dough is truly dry.

• Tight Crumb: Since this recipe uses fresh-milled einkorn, expect a tighter crumb. The bran and germ create a denser texture, and einkorn’s lower gluten content results in smaller air pockets.

• Stretch and Folds: Einkorn sourdough requires fewer stretch and folds, but the dough is clingy. So the stretch and folds are done a little differently (but are still super easy).

Storing and Freezing

• Room Temperature: Fresh-milled bread molds quickly. Store your einkorn sourdough in a bread bag for up to two days at room temperature.

• Freezer: I prefer freezing my fresh-milled bread to extend its shelf life. You can freeze bread for up to 3 months.

FAQs