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There is a grain that is coming back with a lot of hype, and rightly so it it should. Let me explain..
Einkorn what is it?
Einkorn is considered man’s first wheat. Grains of the wild form were traced back to tens of thousands of years ago, and the first domestication of wild einkorn was recorded approximately around 7500 BC. So when you read about wheat in the Bible it could most likely have been Einkorn. How great is that?
Nutrition from Einkorn Wheat
Einkorn is a healthy grain with a high content of protein, phosphorous, vitamin B6 and potassium when compared to modern forms of wheat. It also has plenty of carotenoids – the natural red, yellow or orange pigments that are found in many vegetables and fruits, and in a few grains. Carotenoids have the medical properties that help in preventing serious diseases such as cancer.
Einkorn flour is known for it's small flour particle size when compared to the modern bread wheats. There’s a reason people ate this stuff for thousands of years and called it the staff of life.
Einkorn is the most primitive form of wheat on Earth. It contains only 14 chromosomes, whereas modern wheat contains 42. Einkorn does not have the D chromosome, which seems to be connected with wheat intolerance in many humans.
Why Switch to Einkorn Wheat?
Considering the fact that einkorn is the most genetically primitive and ancient form of cultivated wheat, its very different from the wheat we eat today. What’s more, many people say Einkorn is tastier than modern forms of wheat!
Einkorn wheat can be digested better than most foods. The low content of gluten in Einkorn makes it easier to digest than modern wheat. An improvement in digestion means that nutrients are better absorbed, ensuring that you have no tummy problems after consuming a delicious dish cooked with einkorn flour.
That is the main reason our family has switched to mainly using Einkorn flour. Some things are still made from the regular flour but they are slowly getting changed over. I use einkorn in my sourdough bread and crackers(seriously the best thing ever for discard).
Recipe
Easy Einkorn Carrot Cake or Muffins (download link below)
By Shepherd’s Valley Homestead
Do you love Carrot cake? It is a favorite in our house, but regular flour doesn’t sit so well with me. So I decided to try einkorn flour. I already use it in my sourdough and have zero issues with it.
Prep Time Cook Time Total Time
25 minutes 40 minutes 1 hr 5 minutes
Ingredients
2 ½ cups Einkorn Flour ( I use fresh ground)
¾ tsp. Xanthan gum
1 ¼ tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. Ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp. Ground cloves
¼ tsp. Ground allspice
½ tsp. Salt
1 ¼ cups Organic cane sugar
¾ cup Brown sugar
4 large eggs ( or 3 Duck eggs)
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
⅔ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup melted butter
3 cups finely shredded carrots
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350*. Grease 9x13 pan or muffin tin with shortening.
In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer ( or large bowl with hand mixer), beat sugars and eggs on medium- high speed until thoroughly combined.
Reduce speed to low, slowly add applesauce, oil and butter. Mix until well mixed and light in colour.
Turn off the mixer and stir in shredded carrots and dry ingredients until no loose flour remains.
Pour into the chosen pan. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Try not to eat all of them in one day.
This recipe is great as muffins and they do not last long in our house. You can also use a gluten free flour blend * I prefer the Bob’s red mill 1 to 1*
Please note if using a flour blend that has xanthan gum in it already omit it from the recipe.