Einkorn scallion Loaf

Last nite I decided to try a scallion loaf with Einkorn flour.

3 1/2 cup einkorn flour (from Jovial foods)
1/4 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 big bunch of scallion or 2 small bunches
1 3/4 cups water

Combine the yeast, sugar, salt, and flour in a bowl and stir a bit. Chop the scallions into small pieces. There's a couple of different kinds of scallion.

At my local Stop & Shop, they sell the smaller variety. My local Shaws sells the thicker Asian scallions, which have a much stronger flavor. I prefer to use the thicker variety and use 1 bunch. With the smaller variety, I use about 2-3 bunches. Once it's chopped, it should be about 1.5-2 cups.

Mix the chopped scallions with the flour. Add 1 cup of warm water and mix. Gradually add the remaining water until you get a nice wet no knead dough. Basically you want wet dough. Depending on the moisture of the scallions, you may need more or less water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 14 hours. I put the bowl into my oven to proof for 2 hours before turning it off for the nite.

One thing with using einkorn flour is the dough will be very sticky. Put plenty of flour on the surface before turning out the dough. Before you form the loaf, coat the mixing bowl with 2 tbsp of peanut oil. Any oil will work, but I prefer peanut oil over olive or corn oil. Form a round loaf and place it in the bowl. I turn the loaf over once to make sure it's got oil all around. This prevents the dough from sticking to the bowl too much. Let it rise for 1.5-2 hours in the bowl covered. 45 min before you're ready to bake preheat your dutch oven at 550.

Gently slide the loaf into your dutch oven. I use a rubber spatula to make sure it's not sticking any where. Bake for 30 min covered. After the 30 min, you can bake it uncovered for 5-15 min depending on how much crust you like.

Now that I've made several einkorn loafs, here's what I've learned so far. It takes a bit longer for einkorn dough to rise, so give it more time in the first rising and after it's made into a loaf. Bake it in a dutch oven instead of a loaf pan, baking sheet or stoneware. Cast iron dutch oven with a good lid helps to create steam and has higher thermal inertia. It weighs more than stoneware, but that extra weight helps to keep the temperature high. The heavy lid traps the moisture and helps it rise more during baking. Stoneware is lighter, but it has less thermal inertia, so it cools down a bit before it heats back up. When I slid the loaf into my dutch oven, I could hear the oil sizzle. That's how hot it should be.

For Challah and other loafs that don't fit in a dutch oven, let it rise 2-3 hours after shaping. If your oven has proof setting, proof the loaf until it has doubled, remove it from the oven to preheat and then bake.