An Einkorn Test Bake Still in Progress 🌾
Last week I mentioned that I’d been testing a 100 percent einkorn pan loaf, and I honestly didn’t expect the response. Over 100 of you replied asking to test the recipe, which was amazing. Rather than trying to manage that one by one, I decided the best move was to include it here so we can all look at it together.
Before you scroll down, a quick and important note. This is a tester recipe. It worked beautifully once, and then behaved very differently on another bake. One of the biggest takeaways so far is how fast the starter ferments in this formula. If it goes even slightly too far, it becomes very liquid and the dough loses structure quickly. That’s einkorn, and it’s exactly why this recipe isn’t published on the site yet.
If you decide to try it, treat it like an experiment. Watch the dough closely, take notes, and don’t expect perfection. This is very much a work in progress. Send me some pics and any notes if you made any adjustments, and I'll get this recipe on my blog for everyone to use.
Test Recipe 100 Percent Einkorn Scalded Pan Loaf
This is a tester recipe. It worked once and then didn’t behave the same way on the next bake. Einkorn varies a lot by mill, freshness, and grind, so treat this like an experiment, not a guaranteed formula.
Yield
2 loaves at 900 g each
Total dough weight 1800 g
Levain Build Overnight
Mix and leave at room temperature overnight.
Einkorn flour 407 g
Water 407 g
Ripe starter or levain 204 g
Total levain 1018 g
Note: This is a big levain build. It ferments fast. Use it when it’s ripe and active, not collapsed. It will also get very watery if over-fermented. If this happens, you will need to adjust the flour in the final loaf.
Final Mix
Einkorn flour 452 g
Boiling water 317 g
Salt 14 g
All of the levain 1018 g
Total dough 1800 g
Method
- Build the levain and leave it overnight.
- The next day, place the flour and salt on top of the levain in your mixing bowl.
- Pour the boiling water over the flour, levain and salt, then mix immediately until fully combined.
- Grease your tins well,l then use a wet dough scraper to place it into the baking pan it right away (I used a 7x4" pan, but 8x4" would also work). Smooth the top with a wet dough scraper.
- Flour the top of the loaf so that it is fully covered with flour. Alternatively, you can skip the flour and insert a wet scraper into the middle of the loaf about halfway down. If you look closely at the photo above, you can see the results of both methods.
- Preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C).
- Proof for 45-50 minutes until the loaf has risen and there are visible cracks on top.
- Bake. Add steam with a tray and a cup of water when the loaves go in, then drop to 440°F (226°C) and bake for about 30 minutes, vent the steam and bake for another 20-30 min until the internal temp reaches 205°F (96°C)
- Cool completely before slicing. This matters a lot for einkorn.
Notes for testers
Einkorn can move fast. If your kitchen is warm, proof time will shorten.
If it overproofs, it can collapse and bake gummy.
If your einkorn is very fresh or very finely milled, you may need a slightly lower hydration next round.
From Hand Mixing to a Spiral Mixer: What to Know 🌀
Someone asked me recently if moving from hand mixing to a spiral mixer was worth it. They’d been mixing everything by hand, just got an Ooni, and were honestly a bit intimidated. Mostly by the learning curve and the cleanup.
I get it. Hand mixing feels simple and familiar. A spiral mixer feels like a big step, even though it doesn’t have to be.
Here’s the short version. You do not need a spiral mixer to make great bread. But once you understand how it works, it can make your baking more efficient and more consistent.
One of the biggest surprises for people is the cleanup. Personally, I actually find spiral mixing easier to clean than hand mixing. With a good cloth like the Keeki Cloth, the bowl and hook clean up fast, and you are not scraping dough off your hands, the counter, and every surface nearby. Less mess overall.
The other big benefit is time. While the dough is mixing, you can scale ingredients, clean as you go, or prep the next step. You cannot really do that while hand mixing. It is more efficient, especially if you bake often.
That said, there is a learning curve.
A spiral mixer introduces friction, and friction creates heat. That means your dough temperature will rise faster than it does with hand mixing. This is where temperature really becomes part of the recipe. If you remember last week’s note on dough temperature, this is exactly where it applies.
With a spiral mixer, you will often need cooler water to hit your desired dough temperature. The dough might look ready sooner, but that does not always mean it is fully developed. Watch the dough, not the clock.
A few simple watch points when mixing with a spiral mixer
- Start slower than you think you need. You can always mix more, but you cannot undo overmixing.
- Pay attention to the dough temperature. Take it seriously.
- Look for smoothness and cohesion, not just speed.
- Stop early and finish with folds if needed.
- Expect a few batches to feel awkward. That is normal.
The biggest shift is in mindset. With hand mixing, your hands tell you everything. With a mixer, you learn to read the dough visually and by temperature instead. Once that clicks, it becomes second nature.
If you are comfortable with hand mixing, you already understand dough. A spiral mixer does not replace that skill. It just changes how you apply it.
And if you are curious, cautious, or somewhere in between, that is a good place to be. Every baker goes through this transition differently.
A Go-To 50 Percent Whole Wheat Sourdough 🍞
I baked a batch of my 50 percent whole wheat sourdough earlier this week for an event that ended up getting cancelled thanks to the weather. Bread still got baked, though, which is pretty much how these things always go.
This loaf has been one of my most baked breads at home for years. I love how it handles, how it ferments, the way it smells coming out of the oven, and most importantly, how it tastes. It’s hearty without being heavy, flavourful without being aggressive, and still has great volume for a loaf with a real amount of whole grain in it.
A lot of breads labelled as whole wheat only contain a small percentage of whole grain. I wanted something healthier and more honest, and over time, this 50 percent balance became the sweet spot. The crumb stays soft, the crust caramelizes beautifully, and it works for everything from sandwiches to toast to just slicing and eating plain.
One of the realities of baking is that sometimes plans change, and you end up with extra bread. If that ever happens in your kitchen, I’ve also got a whole section on my blog and in my book dedicated to ideas for using leftover bread, so nothing goes to waste.
If you want to bake this loaf yourself, the full recipe is on the site and is written for a two-loaf home bake. The embedded YouTube video shows a larger micro bakery batch of the same bread, which can be helpful if you like seeing how the dough behaves at scale.
This one has stood the test of time for me, and if you’re looking to bring more whole grains into your everyday baking without sacrificing flavour or structure, it’s a great place to start.
Making French Toast With Juniper 💛
Now that the book tour is done, I’ve been home a lot more, and it’s honestly been amazing. I’ve been trying to really soak up time with the kids, and lately, my oldest, Juniper, has been very interested in learning how to cook like a chef.
The other day, she asked me if she could be a private chef like me one day, which definitely got me right in the heart 🥹
This past weekend, we had about half a loaf of leftover challah sitting on the counter, so we decided to make French toast together. She absolutely nailed it. She whisked the custard, cooked the sausages perfectly, and handled herself at the stove with total confidence. Watching her cook was one of those quiet moments that really stick with you.
We kept it simple. Five eggs, about a quarter cup of milk, a splash of vanilla, a pinch of salt, and some cinnamon. Whisk it well, then let the sliced challah sit in the mixture for a little bit. The bread really does need to be slightly stale so it can soak everything up properly.
For cooking, we used a heavy cast-iron pan with just a small amount of olive oil and butter. Not too much fat, just enough to get a nice golden crust. Low and steady heat, flip once, and let it do its thing.
It wasn’t fancy, and it wasn’t rushed. It was just good food and time together, which is kind of the whole point.
If you want to bake your own challah or learn how to braid it properly, I’ve linked both below.
This Week in the Micro Bakery Fig and Feta Sourdough 🕺
This week in the micro bakery, I baked a fig and feta sourdough that turned out really well. It’s actually based on my feta and sun dried tomato sourdough recipe, with one simple swap that completely changes the loaf.
Instead of sun-dried tomatoes, I used chopped dried figs. The sweetness from the figs plays really nicely with the saltiness of the feta, especially in a long fermented dough. It’s one of those combinations that sounds a little unexpected but just works.
If you want to play with it at home, you can use the same base recipe and make the swap directly. Dried herbs are optional here, too. A little thyme or rosemary works well, but the loaf is great without them if you want to keep it clean and simple.
This is one of those breads that doesn’t need much once it’s baked. A bit of butter, maybe some cheese or soup on the side, and you’re set.
I’ve linked the base recipe below so you can experiment with it yourself.
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Happy Baking,
MJD
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Want to learn more from me? Check out my online video resources 👇
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