Ingredients
SCALE
- 6 cup All-Purpose Einkorn Flour (Or up to approx 27 oz)
- 2 tablespoon Instant Dry Yeast
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 cup Water
- 1 large Egg
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1 1/2 Cup warm water with the yeast, add the honey, and stir until dissolved.
- In an electric mixer, with the dough hook on, add 4 cups all-purpose Einkorn Flour and the salt. Mix until combined. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until the dough is smooth.
- Now add einkorn flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Add only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl. ( You may not have used the entire 6 cups of flour. That's normal. Einkorn takes a little longer to absorb the water. You will add more flour when you knead the dough.)
- Cover the dough with saran wrap or a kitchen towel and let it sit for 30 minutes or until double.
- Turn the mixer on low again and add flour, 1/4 Cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl again. This recipe calls for 6 cups total but remember, it is UP TO 6 cups of Einkorn flour. There are a number of factors that depend on the success of yeast bread, temperature when rising, altitude and humidity. (You should have about 1/4-1/2 cup flour left. You will use this when you knead the dough for the last time before shaping it into loaves)
- Let the dough rise until double again. (I found that this extra round of kneading and rising helped immensely with the success of the french bread. Einkorn flour just takes a little longer to absorb the liquid)
- Pour the dough out onto a floured countertop. Shape into the shape of loaves you want. I like to divide the dough into 2. Roll the dough out into a square, about 12 by 12. Roll the dough up like you would cinnamon rolls and pinch the edges under the loaf.
- You can use a french bread loaf pan or just place them on a greased baking sheet, side by side.
- Using a very sharp knife or a baker's lame, (a razor blade works great too, cut 5 slices in the top of your french bread loaves.
- In a small bowl, crack an egg and add a tablespoon of water. Beat the egg and the water together until its a uniform color and consistency. Using a pastry brush, brush each of the loaves.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, using a 9 by 13 baking dish or a large baking sheet, place the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and then pour 3 cups of hot water into it. While the oven is preheating, it will heat the water in the baking pan creating humidity inside the oven. This will help you get a nice crust on your french bread.
- Let the loaves rise for another 30 minutes and then place in a 350-degree oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
