100% einkorn sandwich loaf

Einkorn's gluten is too weak to hold a free-standing loaf, so this one bakes in a tin. It comes out soft and golden with a sweet, nutty flavour. Most einkorn breads fail from overproofing, so start checking the dough early.

• Makes 1 loaf, 23 × 13 cm (9 × 5 in) tin
• Active 20 min
• Total about 3½ hours plus cooling

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh-milled whole einkorn flour, finest setting
• 330 g lukewarm water (66% hydration)
• 5 g instant yeast (1½ tsp)
• 10 g fine salt (1¾ tsp)
• 20 g honey (1 tbsp)
• 20 g olive oil or melted butter (1½ tbsp), plus extra for the tin

Method

1. Stir the flour, water and yeast in a large bowl until no dry flour is left. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. The dough will look slack at first and firm up as the bran takes up the water. Don't add any more water yet.
2. Add the salt, honey and oil. Squeeze them through the dough with a wet hand or a stiff spatula for 2–3 minutes, until evenly mixed. Don't knead it like wheat dough. It will be sticky, and that's correct.
3. Cover and leave somewhere warm (24–26 °C) for 1 to 1½ hours, until about 1½ times its size, domed, and with a few bubbles on top. Einkorn won't double the way wheat does, and if you wait for it to, it will collapse.
4. Grease the tin. Wet your hands, turn the dough onto a wet worktop, and fold it into a rough log the length of the tin. Put it in seam side down and smooth the top with a wet hand.
5. Cover and proof for 30–45 minutes, until the dough just reaches the rim of the tin. Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) while it proofs.
6. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden and 96–99 °C (205–210 °F) in the centre. Turn it out of the tin and cool it on a rack.
7. Cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Whole-grain einkorn crumb is gummy while warm and sets as it cools. It slices best the next day.