How to Make an Easy Einkorn Sourdough Starter for Homemade Yeast

You heard your grandmother talk about how they made their own yeast. What? don’t you buy yeast? Honey, before they bottled up yeast and sold it, we made our own yeast. Make an einkorn sourdough starter for your own homemade yeast. Your grandmother will be so proud, and she will tell you priceless stories of how her mother would bake goodies from homemade sourdough starters.

What is ancient grain einkorn flour?

Modern wheat is very different from what our ancestors were baking with. Einkorn flour has a different structure and is much easier to digest than modern wheat. And because of the changes, many people are sensitive to flour. Haven’t you always wondered why so many gluten allergies?

Problems eating wheat may include…

• bloating
• inflammation
• headaches
• blood sugar levels
• allergies

Upon discovering Einkorn flour, it has changed our baking once again. When realizing we had challenges when baking with white flour, we changed to gluten-free for a while, but I wasn’t fond of gluten-free flour.

Then, we tried grain-free and almond flour is great for some baked goods, but for some things I wanted a light fluffy taste. Then, I discovered Einkorn. This flour is not hybridized and is the original grain. I cannot rave enough about how great this flour is.

Wheat flour has been hybridized and changed and is a very different wheat today. The wheat stalk is shorter, bigger, and heavily sprayed.

• no bloating
• no headaches
• no foggy head

How do you make your own yeast?

With just two ingredients you can make an einkorn sourdough starter.

• einkorn flour (or all-purpose white flour)
• filtered water

How do I start my einkorn sourdough starter?

• glass jar- quart size jar works great and a wide mouth is even better
• einkorn flour
• filtered water
• wood spoon
• measuring cup

How do you turn a sourdough starter into einkorn?

If you have been feeding it with regular wheat or white you can switch to einkorn anytime.

Is ancient grain einkorn flour better for you?

It is not hybridized and it is easier to digest. The gluten is weaker. If you’re new to einkorn flour, check out one of my favorite no yeast bread.

Can you use wheat or white flour instead of einkorn for sourdough starter?

Yes. Before I realized we were very sensitive to white/wheat flour I used to make my own homemade sourdough starter from white flour. In general, white flour seems to do better for the starter. You may want to use regular white flour instead of einkorn white flour for a cheaper choice.

How do you make a sourdough starter?

Making a homemade sourdough starter is so easy. Just keep feeding it and you will have yeast for many baked goods.

Instructions for making homemade einkorn sourdough starter

Day 1–Day 2 mornings and night 12 hrs apart

• heaping 1/4 cup einkorn flour
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• mix well with a wooden spoon and loosely place a lid on top. or plastic wrap. Set out of direct sunlight. Mine sits in my cabinet

Note: You want a consistency of a thick batter. Adust the starter if needed.

Watch as it does its magic……You may start to see more bubbles.

Day 3

Discard half and feed. You can put the discard in the fridge. If I rush and try to use the discard before day 3 my sourdough biscuits aren’t as good.

Day 4

Same as days 1-2

Day 5

Discard half and feed the leftover starter. Put discard in the fridge to use in recipes.

Day 6-7 You will have an active yeast but you can take it to day 8 and it will be stronger.

Repeat days 1-2

Day 8

Einkorn sourdough starter is ready

Some have suggested feeding every 24 hrs, but in my high humidity climate in the summer, I find feeding it 1-2 times daily is necessary or I end up with a bad starter.

FAQ about einkorn sourdough starter

What is the best container for sourdough starter?

I like a glass quart-size jar. I found a wide mouth quart size jar works great.

What is einkorn flour made from?

Einkorn berries from einkorn wheat stalk.

How do you store einkorn sourdough starter?

I use a canning lid and place it loosely on top of a glass jar in my cabinet where I see it daily to tend to.

Can you stir sourdough starter with a metal spoon?

A wooden spoon is better for stirring your einkorn sourdough starter.

Can I use a mason jar for my sourdough starter?

I use my mason jar for sourdough starters. A wide-mouth quart size jar is a lot easier.

Why do you discard half the sourdough starter?

Help keep the sourdough healthy and encourage good fermentation. Don’t throw the discard out, make my homemade sourdough biscuits.

What do I do with all this discard?

Add 1/2 cup to your

• cornbread
• banana bread
• cookies

When I add discard, eliminate some of your flour. Ensuring a good discard will give you a baked goodie with healthy gut bacteria too.

What if my einkorn sourdough starter smells bad?

If it smells a little rank, you can remove the top layer. Then, take out what’s left of the good starter, feed it for a couple of days, and see if that does the trick.

When feeding your sourdough starter as it grows and ferments, it will have a good yeasty smell.

Einkorn sourdough starter has gone bad

• pink fuzzy or gray/black mold it should be thrown out. If it’s just crusty on top (hooch) remove and feed.

Making an einkorn sourdough starter is so easy, and a wonder to add to homemade baked goods. Then, you’ll have stories to tell your grandma what you baked with your homemade sourdough and she will giggle and have a conversation you won’t forget.

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