The first of September is just one week away, and my social media feed is already buzzing with talk of pumpkin baked goods and cozy soups. I’ve even read a few status updates that mention cooler weather.

An easy homemade bread recipe using an ancient whole grain: einkorn!

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I haven’t embraced a can of pumpkin just yet, and the temperatures in Florida are still close to 100 degrees. But I’m all for thinking about cooler weather foods, like cozy soups, warm yeast bread, and a chai latte. Then again, I don’t think I ever stopped enjoying cooler weather foods. September just means that it’s safe to talk about them in public, right?!

As the weather begins to cool down (and we Floridians lower the temperature of our air conditioning systems to pretend), there’s no better time to make a loaf of homemade bread.

An easy homemade bread recipe using an ancient whole grain: einkorn!

I must stop here and tell you: I don’t make yeast bread very often. In fact, 99% of the time, I purchase bread from a local market in our area. The market bakes and sells this incredible sourdough bread, which is perfect for toast and sandwiches. Just recently, I attended a sourdough class and “birthed” my first successful sourdough starter (see the photo, here), so hopefully with lots of practice and patience, I’ll be able to make amazing sourdough bread in the future, too. In the meantime, I purchase bread from the market.

An easy homemade bread recipe using an ancient whole grain: einkorn!

In the fall, when soup graces our table far more often than it did during the summer grilling season, and the kids are in school during the day (which means a few quiet hours during the day to work and think), I’ll sometimes whisk together a few simple ingredients to make a loaf of homemade bread to have with dinner.

There’s nothing, in the kitchen, like the smell and gratification that comes from mixing together the ingredients to make a yeast bread, watching the sticky dough magically double in size, and then breathe in the aroma of the bread baking in the oven.

An easy homemade bread recipe using an ancient whole grain: einkorn!

And when I actually take the time to make a homemade loaf of bread, the slices are usually gone within a few hours, leaving just a couple of slices left to enjoy (and fight over ;)) with an evening soup. When I remember to sneak some of the homemade bread out of sight before school pickup, the thick slices are used to make the best French toast on Saturday morning. There’s just something incredible about thick-sliced French toast that’s made from soft homemade bread!

An easy homemade bread recipe using an ancient whole grain: einkorn!

As you’ve probably guessed, today’s recipe is for homemade bread. A couple of years ago, I shared a whole wheat bread recipe and crusty bread recipe, both of which have become reader favorites. Today’s recipe is a whole grain-based bread, but it doesn’t call for whole wheat flour; rather, this recipe is made from einkorn flour.

If you’ve been around Live Simply for a while, you may already know about einkorn flour. If you’re new to Live Simply, or just need a refresher, let’s chat for just a second about this special flour, and why it makes such great homemade bread.

An easy homemade bread recipe using an ancient whole grain: einkorn!

What is Einkorn Flour?

Einkorn is known as the oldest variety of wheat making it an “ancient” grain. The ancient grain is believed to have originated in the Tigris-Euphrates region and is possibly the main grain referenced in the earliest accounts of the Bible. To put it simply, einkorn is the wheat men were eating in the earliest days before modern-day wheat varieties. While modern wheat has undergone hybridization, einkorn still holds true to its original properties. Einkorn is slowly gaining popularity, but is still grown in only a few regions in Europe.

The sweet, ancient grain has a lighter texture and taste than modern-day wheat, and contains a more favorable gluten ratio. People with minor gluten sensitives may be able to consume einkorn without the issues associated with whole wheat due the lack of D-genome, however, einkorn is not gluten-free. Einkorn is packed with nutrition, containing high levels of protein along with the antioxidant beta-carotene lutein and minerals.

Einkorn looks and tastes similar to white flour, so it’s the perfect healthy flour to use when making soft, fluffy bread. Einkorn is sold in some health food stores and online.

Today’s recipe uses just four simple ingredients to make a soft and sweet homemade bread that’s delicious to serve with butter and soup, or turn into French toast. I personally find that this bread is a bit too soft for sandwiches, although I may be biased since I prefer my sandwiches to made with dense sourdough bread. If you’d like to try to make this bread for sandwiches, you may want to reduce the honey to only 2 tablespoons. This may also mean upping the flour amount by just a tablespoon or two.

Happy soon-to-be fall, and happy baking!

How to Make Einkorn Bread
4.81 from 56 votes

How to Make Einkorn Bread

There’s nothing, in the kitchen, like the smell and gratification that comes from mixing together the ingredients to make a yeast bread, watching the sticky dough magically double in size, and then breathe in the aroma of the bread baking in the oven.
Kristin Marr
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course How To
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf
Calories 2123 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water room temperature, 230 g
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup honey 80 g
  • 2 TB extra virgin olive oil 20 g
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose einkorn flour See “Ingredient Notes” for using whole wheat einkorn flour or freshly-milled einkorn flour., 440 g, where to buy

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, sprinkle the active dry yeast over the water. Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes. You’ll notice that the yeast begins to foam and sink.
  • Whisk in the honey, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Add the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon just until it becomes too hard to stir the mixture with a spoon. Your hands will get messy for this next part, that’s just part of the bread-making process.
  • Use your fingertips to bring the rest of the flour into the dough mixture. This may require gently kneading the dough a couple of times. Einkorn doesn’t like to be messed with, so do not overwork the dough. Stop “kneading” once the flour has been combined with the wet ingredients. The dough will probably feel and look sticky. That’s okay! Einkorn slowly absorbs liquid ingredients, so as it rests, it will absorb more of the liquids.
  • Cover the dough with a towel, and let it rest and double in size for about an hour. I’ve let my dough rest for an entire afternoon without issue. The goal here is at least an hour resting time. Keep in mind that if your home is very humid and hot, the dough may get stickier.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size (about an hour), coat your hands with a bit of flour (this is optional, but it makes working with the dough easier), and form the dough into a loaf. I simply grab the dough, and shape it into a loaf. Einkorn is a bit sticky to roll out. If your dough is too sticky to handle, add just a couple of tablespoons of flour to the dough (until you reach a workable consistency), but remember not to overwork the dough while adding the flour.
  • Place the loaf in a standard-size bread pan that’s been greased or lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375F. Cover the bread with a towel, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. The bread will again begin to rise and double in size. After 30 minutes, place the bread (with the towel removed) in the oven (preferably in the center of your oven), and bake for about 35 minutes. I’ve had to go as long as 40 minutes in the past, due to opening the oven door a couple of times while baking. The bread should have a golden crust and should have (imperfect) “lifted” sides.
  • I know it’s tempting to eat the bread fresh from the oven, but it’s best to allow the bread to cool to room temperature before slicing.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 2123kcalCarbohydrates: 406gProtein: 48gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 2354mgPotassium: 588mgFiber: 13gSugar: 70gCalcium: 66mgIron: 20.7mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Ingredient Notes

If you’d like a “richer” loaf, try using whole milk and butter instead of the water and oil.

This recipe needs to be made with all-purpose einkorn flour. If you’re using whole wheat einkorn flour (either Jovial brand or freshly milled flour), you’ll need a different flour amount. You could use this recipe as a base (the liquid ingredients), and add whole wheat einkorn flour until you reach the ideal dough consistency.

An easy homemade bread recipe using an ancient whole grain: einkorn!

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151 Comments

  1. Hi Kristin! Can you tell me when you got the darling bread pan, measuring cups and towel that were in this video? 🙂 Also, will you be adding an Einkorn pita bread recipe anytime soon? My family prefers pitas over sliced bread for lunches. Thanks.

  2. Hi Kristin, Your video is so clear in explanation that I’m eager to try your recipe! I’ve weighed the 3 1/2 cups of einkorn in this recipe, and it does not equal 440 grams. I get a measurement of approximately 350 grams. Did you quote the wrong number of grams, or should I increase the einkorn until it weighs 440 grams?

    1. Hey Deb, Thank you. I would increase the amount to 440 grams. Measuring cups can produce different weight measurements, and how the flour is measured can also produce different measurements. Sticking with the weight measurement is usually best. Let me know how it goes!

  3. So I’m making this recipe again and this time I’m thinking 3 1/2 cups of flour might not have been enough? Before letting it rest for an hour, my dough was stickier than what urs look in the video, is that normal? The weather here right now is fall so the temp is def not hot or humid.

  4. Hello, I like very much einkorn flour and I know it is a big challenge to bake bread from it. Perhaps putting honey helps rising the bread but is it healthy? I know if honey exceeds 104° F it is unhealthy, toxic. What do you know about it?
    Thank you.
    Florentina from Romania

  5. Can I make hamburger buns using this recipe? I am vegan and all the einkorn hamburger bun recipes I see online call for eggs.

    1. It’s says that the recipe only takes 1hr 5 mins. It takes waaaaay longer if you account for rising time and baking. Looks like lunch will be served at 2 pm ?

      1. Hi Jasmine,
        We’re sorry for the misrepresentation of the total time and we are grateful she has caught this. We will go back and fix that so the little summary up top reflects the written recipe provided. When it comes to baking, it’s always best to read through the instructions fully to get a good grasp on total times.

        LS Team.

    1. Hey Carol, Does it show any sign of rising, or none at all? If it does, you could try preparing it in the pan, and then placing it in the oven with the light on for a rise before baking. If not, I wonder if the yeast is still good/active?

  6. What kind of bread do you make for sandwiches? I noticed in post above that you mentioned making sandwich breads and this is what I really would like to try making.

    1. What’s the longest you’d let the bread rise each time? Our house is in the 60s all day. Each time I’ve made it it was delicious but only rised about 70% of yours. Specifically the bottom half, it was much denser than the top half. Almost like it sunk…

  7. I’ve made several loaves of Einkorn bread with your recipe. My family and I really like the taste, except for one issue. I’ve noticed that when I slice the bread for sandwiches, the slice crumbles instead of holding its shape. Is there something that I need to change or am I missing something? I appreciate any suggestions because I would like to continue using this recipe for sandwich bread.

    1. Hey Julie, I’m wondering if adding an egg to the liquid ingredients may help the bread hold together for a sandwich. I haven’t tried adding an egg to this loaf recipe, but I’ve used an egg in the past for sandwich breads.

    2. Hello! I know this comment is old but maybe you’ll see it? With Einkorn you should let the loaf fully cool (about 2 hours) in order for it not to crumble. Hope that helps!

  8. I just tried Einkorn flour for the first time with pizza! It’s great! I’m wondering how your purchase your flour, if you’ve found a bulk purchase option that may be cheaper. Thanks

    1. Yay, Leah! Einkorn makes such great pizza dough. I purchase einkorn flour from a local grocery store, but before that I purchased it online (in bulk) from Jovial’s website.

  9. Hi, Kristin,

    I keep reading to shape the dough into a loaf before placing it in the pan. Any particular reason why you can’t just put the dough directly into the loaf pan?

    Thanks so much!

  10. Hi Kristin, I make bread a lot and so I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. Just a quick question though – does the flour need to be soaked first? I’ve been reading a bit about grains needing soaking before using them although I’ve not done this myself before. Thanks for the great blog, it’s very inspiring!

    1. Hey Natalie, Thank you so much! I soaked my grains for a number of years, but found the process was a bit challenging at times in terms of getting the final texture right in baked goods. I’ve found that whole wheat is a great option for soaked dough. Einkorn doesn’t perform so well when it’s soaked, at least not from my experience. I think the structure of einkorn, being that it’s remained true to its original form through the years, helps with being easier to digest–a huge perk of soaking wheat.

  11. Just wondering what you’ve served alongside the bread in the bottom pictures? It looks like butter but jazzed up a bit (also very yummy looking!) 🙂

    1. I make my einkorn bread in bread maker and love it. We don’t eat it up before it gets mold on it. How do I keep it fresh without molding. I put it in a ceramic bread box.

      1. Hello Dorene! So nice to see that you successfully use a bread machine for einkorn bread. Do you use a standard machine and standard cycles? Do you have a special recipe that you’d be willing to share? I’m new to einkorn.

  12. Hi, Kristin. I have a question for you. I want to order the Jovial Einkorn flour and the yeast through Amazon. Do you happen to know if it’s OK to select the 4 to 5 business day shipping option? Will these organic products hold up? Thanks so much, Ardith

    1. Hey Ardith, Yes, that’s okay. I refrigerate the flour once I purchase it (receive it), and it lasts forever. But you don’t need to do this–you can keep the flour in the pantry. The yeast is okay to keep the pantry for a while.

      1. Wow, thank you for answering my question so fast, Kristin. I tend to keep my flour in the refrigerator as well, so this works great for me. Again, thank you so much. Cheer, Ardith

    2. I got some Jovial einkorn flour at Fred Meyer here in Portland OR. Small bag, about a pound package direction suggest half err inkorn and half White and use sourdough starter.

  13. 5 stars
    This looks so yum!
    Congratulations on your sourdough, I’m so excited for you! I just switched my sourdough starter from red wheat to einkorn last week. (I bought my Desem starter from Cultures for Health last year.) Sourdough is so fun to work with, I love seeing the little bubbles in my jar and imagine what I will use them in next. Sourdough Pancakes have become my family’s favorite. I even love them, even though I’m not generally a pancake person. Things just taste better when they are prepared right. 😀 So obvious, but a new revelation to me lately.
    I hope you enjoy working with your sourdough starter, and thanks for the great bread recipe!

    1. Hey Bethany, Thank you! I’ve really been enjoying the process–from starting and feeding the starter to making my first loaf. The sourdough process is quite the artful process. I love it! I agree, there’s just something about well prepared food. The flavor that comes from sourdough, which is made from the simplest of ingredient, is absolutely amazing!

    2. How did you start and keep alive your einkorn starter? Start of mine was amazing but feedings are not going well.

      1. I ordered on Ebay or can order from her Magazine MARYJANE FARMS. The WILD BREAD BOOK By Maryjane Butters. Tells you about keeping your sourdough starters with Einkorn Flour or other organic flours including gluten free flours. Order this magazine it is awesome.

  14. I also am excited to try this bread! I grind my own flour from the einkorn grains. Will the bread be as good using it? (Maybe I’m showing my ignorance, but I did not realize there was an all purpose flour for einkorn). Did you use all purpose for your hamburger rolls? Maybe that’s why my rolls seemed to be darker? Thank you! I always look forward to your recipes!

    1. Hey Virginia, I’m not sure how the bread will turn out with freshly milled einkorn. You may need to use more flour–I would definitely keep an eye on the dough and stop adding flour when it’s slightly sticky and workable (able to be handled–although it will be sticky). I would love to hear how much flour you use! For quite a long time, Jovial only sold all-purpose flour. Now they have introduced a whole wheat version. From my understanding, these two are similar to white whole wheat and whole wheat–one is just lighter. I haven’t played around with the whole wheat einkorn yet. I just recently learned about the difference ;).

  15. I am so excited to try this! Baking bread seems so intimidating but this was presented in a way that makes me feel semi-confident and excited to try. Growing up in apartments with a single mom cooking has been a skill I’ve slowly tried acquiring in adulthood but has been slow going. I’m trying to change that and this recipe could be really fun!