Einkorn Sourdough Bread Recipe – Boule

Step 1

In a large ceramic bowl mix active sourdough starter and water with a fork or Danish dough whisk until well integrated. Add flour and salt and combine ingredients until a shaggy dough is formed.

Step 2

Wetter dough – if it seems wet and doesn’t hold a ball, add a little more flour to your dough until it comes together better. Remove from bowl with a dough scraper and quickly slap and knead the dough on clean surface, using the dough scraper to help you and very quick hand actions. You can use a little bit of olive oil to prevent sticking if necessary. Place back in bowl.

Drier dough – if dough is able to form a ball, you can knead directly in the bowl or on a clean counter surface. Use a dough scraper to release the dough from bowl, then use quick actions to knead and fold the dough for a few minutes. Dough may be sticky, so don’t touch dough for any length of time. Place back in bowl.

Tips for sticky dough – add a tiny amount of water to your fingertips (you can have a small bowl nearby with water in it) to help prevent sticking as you need. Alternatively, you can drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the dough as this will prevent sticking too. If too dry, add small amount of water until it’s workable.

Step 3

Cover bowl with a plate and let sit for 15 minutes so the dough has time to absorb the moisture and relax.

Step 4

Use a dough scraper to release the dough from the bowl, then wet your fingertips, if need be, and begin to knead the dough on a counter surface until the dough feels softer and stretchier. Work quickly, as you do not want to touch the dough for longer than a second as it may become sticky. You may also add a little olive oil to the dough or counter if the dough is too sticky to handle.

Step 5

Place dough back in bowl and allow to sit covered with a plate for another 15 minutes. Repeat this process of kneading and allowing to rest for 15 minutes several more times, if time allows. Then, cover with compostable cling wrap and a dish cloth and allow to ferment for 8-10 hours on the counter, until dough has doubled or tripled in size.

Step 6

Flour a surface lightly and remove fermented dough from the bowl with your dough scraper. Take edges of the dough and pull to the center until you have formed a round ball. Turn over and cup your hands around the dough, then drag towards you, bringing the seams together at the bottom of the round and creating tension. Do this several times by dragging towards you at different angles, creating tension at the bottom, until the round feels tighter and is holding the tension well with a round top.

Step 7

Flour a banneton proofing basket liberally. Turn the round upside down – seam side up – so the top of bread is on the bottom of the banneton. At this point, you can sew the seam together by pinching pieces together with your fingers until it’s tight and held together.

Step 8

Cover with oiled compostable cling wrap and cover the round loosely. Then cover with a dish cloth and let rise for 90 min to 2 hours (or longer if needed) until doubled in size and the dough has risen above the banneton. If the dough is slow to rise, just give it more time.

Alternatively, you can lightly flour the top and drape a dish cloth overtop to prevent sticking.

Step 9

Preheat oven to 475℉ – 500℉ and place a round dutch oven in the oven. Do this 30 minutes – 45 minutes before the bread will be baked so there is ample time for the dutch oven to preheat and become very hot.

Step 10

Remove the preheated dutch oven from oven and carefully turn banneton upside down so that the round can plop into the hot Dutch oven. Slash the top of the loaf in an X, square pattern (don’t have the corners connect), or just one slash through the top using a sharp knife or a lame dough slasher. Place the covered dutch oven back in the oven and bake at 475℉ for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for another 20 minutes.

Step 11

Remove dutch oven from oven and turn upside down to release the bread until a cooling rack.  Allow to fully cool for about 2 hours before cutting. Bread will continue to cook after coming out of the oven, so its important not to cut into it while still hot.

Note

You may choose to cold ferment the dough during the proofing stage. If you want to do this, it’s best to mix the dough in the morning, allow to ferment all day, then shape and place in banneton in the evening. After placing in the banneton, move immediately to the fridge and let the dough proof overnight or longer in the refrigerator. It will rise slowly in the fridge and continue to ferment. When you’re ready to bake, remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature before baking. This takes 2-3 hours to come to room temp.

Note #2

3 x 15 minutes rest periods are included in the total prep time, although actual work time is only about 15 minutes