Take your 🫙 einkorn starter out of the fridge. Discard all but 25g, then feed it with 75g einkorn flour and 75g water. Stir vigorously, cover loosely, and leave at room temperature. It should double in size, be visibly bubbly, and smell pleasantly sour and yeasty. Do not mix your dough until your starter passes the float test (a small spoonful dropped in water should float).

In a large bowl, combine the 100g active starter with the 290g water. Stir until the starter is fully dissolved. Add all 450g of 🌾 einkorn flour and mix with wet hands or a stiff spatula until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy and noticeably sticky — this is completely normal with einkorn. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle 9g salt over the rested dough. Dimple it in with wet fingertips and knead briefly in the bowl until you feel no salt granules. Immediately perform your first stretch-and-fold: grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward as far as it will go without tearing, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat — four folds per set. Cover and rest 20 minutes.

Perform two additional sets of stretch-and-folds, each 20 minutes apart. By the third set you should notice the dough feeling smoother, more cohesive, and slightly less sticky. Einkorn dough won't develop the same tight, elastic network as modern wheat — it will always feel more delicate. Trust the process. Always use wet hands, never add extra flour.

After your final fold, cover the bowl and leave undisturbed at room temperature (68–72°F) for 3–5 hours. Einkorn ferments faster than modern wheat, so watch the dough rather than the clock. You're looking for: noticeable puffing (25–40% increase in volume), a domed top, bubbles visible at the sides, and a dough that wobbles or jiggles when you shake the bowl gently. Do not let it over-ferment — slightly under is better than over with einkorn.

Lightly dampen your work surface (no flour). Turn the dough out gently. Use your 🔪 bench scraper to pre-shape the dough into a rough round by pulling it toward you across the surface — the friction builds surface tension. Let rest uncovered for 15–20 minutes. Then do a final shape: flip the dough over, gently stretch it into a rectangle, fold the sides in like an envelope, roll it toward you, and use the scraper to tighten it into a firm boule. Place it seam-side up into your 🧺 proofing basket, heavily dusted with a 50/50 mix of rice flour and einkorn flour.

Cover the banneton with a reusable shower cap or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 8–16 hours. The cold retard slows fermentation, develops more complex sour flavor, and firms up the dough — making it much easier to score cleanly. You can bake directly from the fridge; no need to bring to room temperature.

Place your Dutch oven (with lid) on the middle rack and preheat oven to 500°F (260°C) for a full 45–60 minutes. A properly preheated vessel is non-negotiable for oven spring. When ready, remove your dough from the fridge, flip it seam-side down onto a square of parchment paper. Using your ✂️ bread lame, score the top at a confident 45° angle — one decisive slash about ½ inch deep. Lift the parchment and lower the dough carefully into the hot Dutch oven. Replace the lid and bake covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes until the crust is a deep mahogany brown. Internal temperature should reach 205–210°F.

Remove from the Dutch oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool for a minimum of 1–2 hours before slicing. This is not a suggestion — cutting too early releases steam that hasn't finished setting the crumb structure, resulting in a gummy interior. The wait is genuinely the hardest part.