Einkorn Sandwich Bread

Four slices of sandwich bread made with einkorn flour on a plate.

4.79 from 61 votes

This hearty einkorn sandwich bread is full of flavor and perfect for everything from sandwiches to morning toast. With its slightly firmer crumb and nutty taste, it highlights the unique qualities of einkorn flour. A delicious, rustic twist on classic homemade bread! This is what baking from scratch looked like in ancient days.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Additional Time2

Total Time2 50

Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baking, einkorn bread, einkorn sandwich bread, yeast bread

Servings: slices

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

3-¾ cups all-purpose einkorn flour (450 grams)
2 teaspoons dry instant yeast
1- ½ teaspoons salt
1-¼ cups warm milk (295 grams)
¼ cup honey (85 grams)
2 tablespoons butter melted (28 grams)

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the einkorn flour, yeast and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the warm milk honey and melted butter.
Mix the wet ingredients into the flour and stir until all the flour is absorbed. The dough will be wet and sticky.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise for about 1 hour or until almost doubled in size. The first rise doesn’t require as much caution with over-proofing as the second rise does.
Grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.
Scrape the dough out onto a work surface that has been greased with oil and shape it into a loaf. If it sticks to your hands then dip your hands into some water. Your wet hands will prevent it from sticking to them.
Place the shaped loaf into the prepared loaf pan and grease the top of the dough with oil or butter.
Let the loaf rise for 60 to 90 minutes (time will vary depending on room temperature and humidity). The dough should only rise to 1-½ times its original height. If you let it double in size, it may collapse on itself since the gluten in the einkorn flour is not strong enough to hold a higher rise.
When the bread is almost finished rising, preheat the oven to 350°.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Using instant yeast eliminates the need to dissolve and proof the yeast prior to mixing the ingredients. Just toss the ingredients together and mix well.
If you want to use active dry yeast, dissolve it in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar and let it sit 5-10 minutes until bubbly.
The milk should be warmed to about 100° to 110°. I don't use a thermometer for this, I simply warm the milk until it is comfortably warm to the touch.
A bowl scraper and a bench scraper make it easier to work with the bread dough.
Einkorn dough tends to be wetter and stickier than typical wheat dough, so hold back on adding extra flour. Too much flour will make it dense and dry. Using a greased bowl scraper or spatula makes handling the dough much easier and avoids unnecessary flouring.
Avoid Over-Proofing: Unlike other bread, einkorn dough shouldn't double in size. Aim for it to rise to about 1-½ times its original height. Over-proofing can cause it to collapse due to its more delicate gluten.
Einkorn doesn’t need kneading; in fact, handling it too much weakens the gluten. Just mix the ingredients until combined and let it rise.
Shaping Tip: Keep dough from sticking by dipping your hands in water or oil before shaping. This makes it easier to handle the sticky einkorn dough.
Nutrition is calculated based on 1 slice from a 20 slice loaf of bread.

Nutrition