Sourdough Information

By Julie Koyle Einkorn.com

 Why a Sourdough/Natural Leaven?  No yeast needed. Yeast is unhealthy for your guy.  Sourdough creates enzymes and partially digests the grains and unlocks the nutrients so it is easier on the digestive system and our bodies can actually use the nutrients in the grain.  It’s all about your start!  Feed it with the ratio of 2 parts whole Einkorn flour to 1 part water in weight or a 3:2 ratio if using whole wheat flour. It will be very thick but will thin as it ferments. Make bread just before the start has reached its peak and is bubbly. This is when the leavening power is the greatest.

Basic Einkorn Bread Recipe:

 Start you fed the night before (see above ratios)  4 c warm Water  About 18 c of whole wheat flour, divided  3 T Real Salt  ¼ c Butter or Coconut Oil (opt.)  ½ c Honey (opt.)

Put all ingredients in a bowl, including only ½ of the flour. Mix well. Cover and keep in warm place until doubled and bubbly (2-3 hours). Add the rest of the flour one cup at a time until dough cleans the sides of the bowl. This is a sticky grain. DO NOT over-knead. Transfer to a large bowl and place in wonder oven or other warm place, cover with a towel (and wonder oven top), and let double (2-3 hours, depending on temp., humidity, etc.). Punch down (do not skip © Ancient Grains 2017 this step- essential for getting fluffy bread). Transfer to 5 greased loaf pans. Let double again (1-2 hours). Preheat oven to 425º. When bread is not quite reached its peak (still on its way up), carefully place in preheated oven (do not bump or shake) and pour 1 C. water in the bottom of the oven and close the door. Be careful! This creates steam and sears the crust making a delicious bread. Bake for 32-36 minutes. Remove and brush butter or coconut oil on top. Let cool 20 minutes and remove from load pans.

Other things you can do with your basic Bread dough:

o Pizza – After second rising, roll out, rise an hour, top, then, with pizza peel, transfer to 550º preheated stone and bake 6-9 minutes (depending on what toppings you have) o Breadsticks – After second rising, grease jelly roll pan and roll dough out into it. Cut breadsticks the size you want. Sprinkle garlic, salt, parmesan cheese or whatever you want. Rise, bake at 425º for 12-18 minutes. o Cinnamon Rolls – Roll flat after second rising. Spread with butter and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and nuts or raisins. Roll, cut with floss, let rise again, bake at 350º for 20ish minutes. o Dessert Breads – Roll flat after second rising into greased Jelly Roll Pan. Top with sugar, cinnamon and any kind of fruit. Let rise again about an hour. Bake at 425º for about 18 minutes. o Focaccia Bread – Roll out after second rising into greased Jelly Roll Pan. Top with anything interesting (olive oil, garlic, salt, sautéed onion, olives, parmesan, basil, mozzarella cheese, sundried tomatoes, etc). Let rise about an hour and bake at 425º for 12-18 minutes.

© Ancient Grains 2017 o Pitas – After second rising, roll out paper thin without creases (no rising after) and bake on a preheated to 500º stone for 3 minutes. Let cool in a closed container so they don’t dry out. o Bagels – Shape after second rising, let rise again, boil in water for about a minute, brush with egg wash (1 Egg white and 3 T Water), and bake on a 500º preheated stone.

If the start has gone too far don’t throw it away!

There are more things you can do with a sourdough start. It won’t raise loaf breads in a “hungry” condition, but it will still ferment the grains and make their nutrients more bioavailable. Here are some other things you can do with a start that has gone too far:

Quick Breads/Muffins

It is easy to convert any of your favorite quick bread recipes to a healthier form: Follow directions but hold the eggs and soda until later. Mix and add some start (not an exact science- just add whatever you have) in the first mixing of the bulk of the ingredients. Leave overnight or at least 6 hours. In the morning, add eggs and soda. Here’s the trickiest part. You don’t have to add the powder unless you want to, but if the recipe doesn’t already call for soda, use a quarter of the amount of powder that it calls for in soda. So, if your recipe calls for 2 T. of Baking Powder, use instead, ½ T. of Soda. Soda (which is Alkaline) reacts with the start (which is Acidic) to create the leaven. You may find that you are able to lessen the amount of fat that you use. Not sure why, but the start makes quick breads very moist. Watch the consistency and bake as your recipe says.

Pancakes/Waffles

 At night feed some start (in a different bowl than your bread start) with 3 cups of any whole grain flour mixture you want

© Ancient Grains 2017 and enough water to make a thick batter. In the morning, add:  1/3 C. oil (coconut or olive is the healthiest)  ¼ C. Honey or Coconut Sugar  1 Egg (or 1 ½ T. Ground Flax mixed with 3 T. hot water and set for 5 minutes) OR 4 Eggs for Waffles.  1 t. Sea salt  1 t. Baking Soda (watch it grow!)  More water, if needed, to make an acceptable consistency for pancake or waffle batter.

Cook as usual.

Einkorn Banana Muffins

 1 ½ C. Walnuts (soak all night, in the morning discard water, rinse, and add to muffin batter) ______

 1 C. Coconut Oil or other healthy fat  8 ripe bananas  2 ½ C. Sucanat (could use coconut sugar or brown sugar if you prefer)

Blend Well, then add:

 2 t. Salt  1 T. Vanilla  1 C. Chocolate Chips (opt.)  7 C. Einkorn Flour  Start - whatever you have is fine

 1 T. Baking Soda  6 T. ground flax in 12 T. HOT water (mix in small bowl until it has a gel-like consistency) or you can use 3 eggs instead.  Soaked, Rinsed Nuts

Bake in muffin pan at 425º for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely and remove from pan.

Feel free to half any of these recipes. I have a big family and these recipes make a LOT of food!  Be Patient With Yourself!!! There is a learning curve with this but it is so worth it for the health of yourself and your family, so don’t give up!! Good luck! Please Go to Einkorn.com - contact us- with questions! Happy Baking!

Julie Koyle