What brought us to einkorn flour
When the kids were little, they struggled with various food sensitivities, one of the common ones being wheat. We were usually able to eliminate it for a few years and then add it back in and they would do okay with it. I have almost always made our own baked goods so I would experiment with alternative types of wheats such as spelt and kumut and they were usually able to tolerate those quite well.
A few years back I was having some health issues, lots of inflammation in my body, fatigue and pain. I decided to cut out gluten entirely and it really helped so much. Every time I would try to add it back in I would feel extremely fatigued the next day, like walking through mud, and I would start getting a sore throat and feel sick. I tried some of the alternative grains that I had used before with no luck. For a few years I used gluten free flours or would buy gluten free products, but I really didn’t like how much sugar all the products have in them and also the gluten free flours aren’t really what I would consider “whole food”. One day I somehow stumbled across einkorn on a podcast, and blog, I decided to order some and try it.
What is einkorn flour?
What is einkorn you ask? It’s a heritage wheat that has never been hybridized. So basically it’s the original wheat from which all other species are derived from. It’s makeup is different and even though it does contain gluten it’s often tolerated well by those who have a gluten sensitivity because it’s easier for the body to break it down and digest it. It contains 30% more protein than modern wheat and 15% less starch. We find that it’s more filling and satisfying.
Our first-time using einkorn
I remember being so excited the day our einkorn flour was delivered. The first thing that we made with it was biscuits. They were so amazing!!! We all agreed the einkorn biscuits were even better than conventional white flour biscuits. And I was able to tolerate them without any problems. Since then, we have pretty much made all our baked goods out of einkorn; bread, muffins, tortillas, crackers, English muffins, rolls, cookies, and cakes. The kids love the taste of it and it doesn’t make them feel bad like white flour often does. Einkorn is quite a bit more expensive than most flours you will find, but in my opinion, it’s so worth it. It’s a heritage wheat that hasn’t been hybridized, it’s organic, it’s 1 ingredient instead of several like the gf flour options, it’s very filling and satisfying, and it tastes fabulous.
How to bake with Einkorn
Baking with einkorn is pretty simple. For most recipes, just sub all purpose einkorn flour 1:1 for white flour. Breads are a little different because of the way that it absorbs water. It’s recommended to reduce your liquid by 20%. Einkorn is starting to pick up in popularity so there are lots of great recipes and resources online. Some of my favorite are –
http://www.amodernhomestead.com
http://www.theelliotthomestead.com
Where to buy einkorn flour
I buy the Jovial brand einkorn and use the all purpose variety.
Where I purchase our einkorn flour –
(as an amazon associate, I earn a small commission if you purchase through this link at no extra cost to you) –
Jovial Foods – http://www.jovialfoods.com
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3SA6dlH
Vitacost – Jovial 100% Organic Einkorn All-Purpose Flour — 10 lbs – Vitacost
Check out my recipe for sausage balls using einkorn flour