Baking Einkorn Bread in a Hot Kitchen

I’ve been working with einkorn flour for a couple of years, and as with every other type of grain I’ve experimented with, I’ve had some successes and some flops. It takes a little while to get used to how the grain works, especially when compared to regular bread flour, but that’s part of the fun.

 

The “Baking with Einkorn” workshop I attended a couple of weeks ago helped me understand more about the nuances of the flour. So after I got home, I couldn’t wait to begin testing this grain again.

Armed with some new tips and techniques, I set out to bake bread. I wanted to jump right in and start converting some of my favorite recipes now that I have a better idea of how to do that, but I opted to make a tested Einkorn bread recipe instead.

Start with the Classic Einkorn Sandwich Loaf

I started with a Classic Einkorn Sandwich Bread using the recipe printed on the bag of all-purpose Einkorn flour (also listed on the Jovial Foods’ site).

I was still getting over jet lag when I started this experiment so I forgot about the adjustments that need to be made when you’re baking in a hot kitchen. It’s 78 degrees F. in my Atlanta kitchen (with the air on and the oven off) so all bets are off when making bread, even if the recipe has been tested.

The first time I made it, I had to add a good bit more water than the recipe called for. I also reduced the yeast a bit, but I kept the amounts of other ingredients the same. The flavor of the bread was good, but the texture was too hard and chewy. Due to the excessive heat (and my foggy brain), the loaf was over proofed. It also didn’t have enough salt, in my opinion.

I baked the loaf at the suggested temperature of 375 degrees F. That temperature was too hot, especially in a ceramic loaf pan. The loaf turned out a bit chewy and harder than I expected. However, it made for a good grilled cheese sandwich. So although the loaf wasn’t optimal, it didn’t go to waste.

 

This loaf rose too much, was a bit chewy & dry, but still edible

 

Make Adjustments for Baking in a Hot Kitchen

The second time I attempted this bread, I made several adjustments based on the issues I found with the first loaf. I ended up using more water than the original formula, but not as much as I did for the first loaf. I also reduced the yeast by half and increased the salt to help keep the dough from rising to fast and too much in the heat. I kept the flour ratio and the amount of honey the same for both loaves.

Einkorn is very extensible so the dough came together really easily. However, the gluten structure is weaker so it doesn’t benefit from a long mix like you would with regular bread flour.

This time, I paid careful attention to the bulk fermentation period and the final proof so the loaf didn’t overproof. As a result, this loaf turned out much better. It rose beautifully, but not too much. The extra salt helped with the texture and the flavor. The texture was soft and fluffy like sandwich bread is supposed to be and the flavor was good.

This is the version I really liked

 

Einkorn Sandwich Loaf (in a hot kitchen)

I have not tested this particular recipe in milder weather yet, but this is version that worked for me in my hot kitchen during the summer.

Adapted from: Classic Einkorn Sandwich Loaf by Jovial Foods

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (480 grams) all-purpose einkorn flour
• 1 teaspoon (3.5 grams) instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (8.5 grams) sea salt
• 1 1/8 cups (260 grams) water, lukewarm
• 1 tablespoon (14 grams) honey

Method:

Whisk together the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl.

Mix the warm water and honey in a separate container and stir to dissolve.

Add the water/honey mixture to the flour mixture and mix, using your hands or a Danish dough whisk, until there are no dry bits of flour. Add in additional water if necessary.

Transfer the dough to a lightly-floured work surface and knead gently until smooth.

Place the dough in a large, clean mixing bowl and let it rise at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour.

When the dough has doubled in bulk, remove it from the bowl to a lightly-floured work surface and shape into a loaf. 

To shape the loaf, press the dough out into a rough rectangle, then fold the bottom and top edges in like a letter, pressing the seams closed so they don’t pop open during the proof cycle. Fold the left and right edges in toward the center; then fold it up again so the seam is enclosed in the center of the dough. Flip the loaf over and roll it gently back and forth on the work surface to elongate it to fit the loaf pan. Use a bench scraper to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface.

Place the loaf in a greased 8” x 4” loaf pan and cover with plastic. Let the loaf rise at room temperature for 30 minutes or until the loaf crests slightly over the top of the pan.

 

Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F. for nonstick pans and 325 degrees F. for glass loaf pans.

Remove the loaf from the oven, and if using glass pans, allow the loaf to rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

 

I enjoyed slices of this bread with butter and with peanut butter, my favorite taste test for sandwich loaves.  It passed both taste tests.

Happy Baking!

Cathy

 

My Journey with Einkorn in the Hills of Tuscany

I’ve fallen in love with the ancient grain Einkorn so I jumped at the chance to attend a workshop to learn more about baking with it. The event was hosted by Jovial Foods, and the setting was a beautiful villa nestled in the hills of Tuscany.

I wanted to get more practice making different types of bread using Einkorn, and what better way to learn than to go to the source, the source of the wheat, that is. 

Jovial Foods is the main grower of Einkorn wheat. Currently, their wheat is only grown in Tuscany. They also produce Einkorn pasta products and olive oil from ancient olive trees as well as gluten-free products.

Carla (one of the partners and our host at the workshop) has recreated almost all types of breads using Einkorn. This interested me because that’s what I’ve been trying to do.  I got to learn from her trials and errors.

I have a lot more experimenting to do, but while I was there, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the beauty and history of Tuscany and learn more about this ancient grain.

 

Making Pasta with Einkorn

The first evening, we learned how to make pasta. The owner of the factory that produces Einkorn pasta showed us how to mix the dough and run it through the pasta machine to produce long sheets of pasta. The long sheets were placed on the table to dry, then run through the machine again to cut the dough into the appropriate shaped noodles.  Then the noodles were placed on the table to dry until it was time to boil them for dinner.

We made regular egg noodles, whole wheat noodles, Swiss chard pasta, and potato gnocchi; all with Einkorn flour. I had never made pasta before. I was amazed at how easy and fun it was to prepare. Of course, it always looks easy when someone else is showing you how to do it, but now that I’ve seen how to do it, I’m going to take the plunge and try it myself.

The gnocchi was soft, like a light and feathery marshmallow that you could flick across the room. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that forming the grooves in the gnocchi didn’t require any special tools. We just pressed a piece of gnocchi dough down with our fingers and slid it across the tines of a fork. Then we gently flicked the piece of dough onto a baking sheet.

We worked late into the night making the pasta and gnocchi and enjoying the fellowship of new friends. When we finally sat down to eat, I was too tired to take any photos of the finished pasta and sauces, but trust me, it was good.

 

Eating and Loafing Around

The next day, we learned how to create different types of loaves using Einkorn. We prepared the dough for sandwich bread, whole wheat bread, ciabatta, and no knead bread.

As we were mixing the dough for each type of loaf, Carla (our host) would give us tips and insight into the nuances of each bread. I watched, listened, participated and soaked up as much knowledge as I could.

I volunteered to work on the whole wheat dough so I could use their European grain mill to grind the grains into flour. After grinding the Einkorn berries into flour, it was time to mix the dough in one of their beautiful ceramic bowls. When the mixing was complete, we covered all of the bowls and left the dough to bulk ferment. 

Once the bulk fermentation was complete, Carla demonstrated how to shape the loaves, then the loaves went through the final proof and were baked and left to cool.

Carla is working on a cookbook of Einkorn breads so these loaves were used in the photo shoots. There was so much going on that I didn’t get photos of all of the loaves, but I did get a shot of the Ciabatta and the crusty no-knead boule.

After the photo shoots were finished each day, we got to taste test the breads. In addition to the loaves we prepared, Carla also made muffins, Tuscan bread, bagels, crackers and a few coffee cakes, among other things. All of the breads and cakes I tasted were great!  

 

Baking Pizza in the Food-Fired Oven

I love Pizza so my favorite session was making the pizza dough and baking it in the wood-fired oven.

After we made the pizza balls in the kitchen, we took everything outside to the brick oven. Each of us prepared our own pizza using the toppings of our choice. Then Clay (29Villa San Lorenzo) would bake the pizza quickly in the wood-fired oven.

I made a marguerita-style pizza. It seemed only fitting since I was in Italy. I forgot to take a photo of it, but it sure tasted good.

I’ve always wanted to learn how to use a wood-fired oven. However, after seeing how it’s done, I think I’ll wait a little while longer before I try it myself.  I’m not sure my recovering tennis-elbow arm is strong enough yet to handle the long paddle (or the fire) without getting burned. For now, I’ll stick to pizza-on-the-grill or on the baking stone.

It was interesting to watch Clay handle the wood-fired oven. He’s a pro at it. In fact, I heard it through the grapevine that he has a pizza cookbook coming out soon. He’s also a renowned photographer and took all of the photos for Carla’s Einkorn Bread Book which will be coming out next year.  I don’t know the titles of either book but look for them soon.

 

Spending time in Tuscany was a great way to recharge and recalibrate. The fact that I also got to learn more about baking with Einkorn was icing on the cake. It was a delightful and informative learning experience. I plan to do a lot more experimenting now that I have some more insight into how to work with Einkorn.

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Einkorn Sourdough Bread –revisited

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. That’s what I told myself when my Einkorn sourdough starter bit the dust.  I just restarted it and continued my quest to make sourdough bread using an Einkorn sourdough culture and Einkorn flour.

I’ve been experimenting with this sourdough for a couple of months. So far, I’ve baked three breads using the restarted Einkorn sourdough.  Each bread has a different shape, but the formula is the same. Two of my attempts were successful, one not so much.

 

Einkorn Sourdough Bread

Makes: 1 Loaf

Refer to my original Einkorn Sourdough post for more info on making this bread.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups (390 g) Einkorn flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 T water
• 3 tbsp. (1 3/4 oz) honey
• 1 1/2 tsp. (3/8 oz) kosher salt
• Mature Einkorn Sourdough starter

As indicated, this dough makes enough for one loaf.  I made it three different times and each time, I shaped the loaf into a different shape. I shaped one loaf into a boule (round ball), one into a Batard shape and the other batch of dough into what was supposed to be bread bowls but ended up like hockey pucks. The different shaping techniques are discussed in the directions below except for the bread bowls since they didn’t quite work out. 

The first time I made this bread was in July 2012, before my starter bit the dust. I shaped the loaf into a regular loaf that time so I provided those directions as well in case you prefer to make the loaf in a loaf pan rather than freeform.

 

Directions:

Step 1: Create the Sourdough Culture

Take 1/4 cup Einkorn sourdough starter and place it in a large bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup water and 1 cup einkorn flour.  Mix with a Danish dough whisk until smooth. This will be your sourdough culture.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the culture sit for 8-24 hours, until you are ready to bake. Place the remaining starter in a quart jar and put it in the refrigerator to use as your new einkorn starter.

 

Step 2: Mix the Dough

Remove the plastic wrap and add about 3 1/2 cups Einkorn flour, 1/2 cup + 1 –2 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons honey and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and mix with a Danish dough whisk until a dough forms and all the flour is absorbed.

 

Step 3: Knead the Dough

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for about 5 minutes or so until it is smooth and elastic. This dough is almost buttery.  It’s much easier to work with this time.

 

Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

Place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough proof until it is doubled in size, about 2 1/2 - 3 hours.

 

Step 5: Shape the Loaves

Shape the Boule.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and shape it into a round ball. Place it on lightly oiled parchment paper and cover with plastic. Let it rest again until doubled in size, about 2-3 more hours.

 

 

Shape the Batard. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface.  I find that Einkorn dough works better with a little oil on the surface. Shape into a batard shape and place the loaf on parchment paper.  As you can see, I reused my parchment paper. 

For detailed instructions (including photos) on shaping a Batard, refer to the post on 66 Percent Sourdough Rye.

 

Shape the Loaf. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and flatten it into a rough round. Fold the top and bottom edges toward the middle, like a letter, to evenly distribute the air pockets and help the bread rise evenly in the pan.  Pinch the seams together. Place the dough seam side down in a greased 8” x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2” loaf pan. Recover with plastic and let it sit again until doubled in size, about 2-3 more hours.  It is supposed to reach the top of the pan, but mine never did even after several hours.

 

Step 6: Prepare the Loaves for Baking.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. with a baking stone on the middle rack and a steam pan underneath.

Score the Boule. When the bulk fermentation is complete, score an X in the top of the loaf using a sharp knife or lame.

 

Score the Batard. Once the bulk fermentation is complete, make several 1/4-inch slashes in the loaf.

 

Score the Loaf. Lightly dust the top of the loaf with more einkorn flour and score it using a razor (lame) or serrated knife.

 

Step 7: Bake the Loaves 

Slide the loaf (on the parchment paper) onto the preheated baking stone.  Spray the walls with steam and pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan.  Immediately turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. Bake the loaves on the preheated stone until nicely brown, about 30-40 minutes. Remove the parchment paper partway through the bake cycle to make sure the bottom of the loaf is baked completely.

 

Step 8: Cool and Serve the Loaves

Let the loaves cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Here is a shot of the sliced Boule.  It was a cute round little ball that really opened up during baking.  These slices tasted great toasted with cheese.

 

This is Batard Shape.  I brushed olive oil over it after it was finished baking. This was a beautiful loaf. I Really liked the batard shape for this dough. I’ll probably do that again.  I forgot to take a photo of the crumb but it looked and tasted similar to the boule.

 

Here is Regular Loaf.  You can read more about this bread in my original post.

 

Here are the hockey pucks. The main reason these didn’t turn out was because I decided to use some starter that had been sitting in the refrigerator and had not been fed recently.  I wanted to test it. Guess what!  It didn’t work. I think I also baked these rolls too long. I couldn’t even slice them to feed the birds. They were too hard.  

 

Although the shape of the loaves were different, the flavor was pretty much the same each time.  I said this the first time I made this bread, but it has a very unique and tangy sourdough flavor.  It’s a very mature and distinctive flavor that goes well with cheese. This is not a fluffy bread and I like that!  I hope you’ll try Einkorn sourdough bread sometime and let me know how you like it.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy