Einkorn sourdough French bread is a fun bread variation to a classic boule, split up into two loaves perfect for an appetizer or picnic lunch. Mix the dough the day before to let it long ferment and get a fluffy, sour rise. Sourdough French bread is crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside making it a delicious einkorn bread recipe.

Sourdough French bread, especially when it’s made with einkorn flour, is a delicious blend of sourdough with the nutty flavors of einkorn. It’s crispy and flakey on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. A wonderful combination!
Sourdough at the Homestead
When we first moved into our little homestead back in 2018, the first thing I wanted to do (besides get a couple of chickens) was start making sourdough bread. I loved the idea of making all our food from scratch and learning how to start a homestead.
Since then I have cared for the same sourdough starter and developed dozens of sourdough recipes for it. My family does not complain!
Then a few years later I started experimenting with einkorn flour.
I love einkorn flour because it is higher in protein and lower in gluten, making it easier to digest. The higher protein also makes it more sustainable for you as opposed to eating a low protein carb. Meaning, it will give you better energy during the day.
Read more about the benefits of einkorn here.
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More Einkorn Recipes from the Homestead
Einkorn Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Sourdough Einkorn Raspberry Poptarts
Einkorn Sourdough Banana Bread
Einkorn Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Tips for Sourdough French Bread
Sourdough ferments faster when your house is warmer. For example if your house is over 70 degrees F, you may be able to just whip this recipe up in the evening, do a few stretch and folds 30 minutes apart, throw it in the fridge overnight and bake the next day. But if your house is cooler, you want to give it ample time to ferment on the counter for a better rise.
Our family can tolerate regular all purpose flour just fine, so I include some regular flour in this recipe to help it get a higher rise. But you can convert this to 100% einkorn if you want by using 5 total cups of einkorn flour. You can also feel free to adjust the regular flour to einkorn flour ratio in this recipe to your liking! (That’s the fun part 🙂
Serve einkorn sourdough French bread toasted up for breakfast smeared with warm honey butter and fried eggs on the side. French bread also serves up well for homemade sandwiches, bruschetta, strata, or dipping in your favorite soup.

New to Sourdough?
You can learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch to make homemade bread, sourdough pizza, bagels, and more.
Put all your sourdough recipes in one spot!
Download and print off this NEW sourdough recipes ebook and keep your favorite sourdough recipes on your counter for easy, every day cooking.





Baker’s Timeline
Day 1 (morning): feed the sourdough starter (1 cup four + 3/4 cup filtered water)
(afternoon): make the dough
(evening): stretch and folds
(night): long ferment in the fridge
Day 2 (morning): pull dough out of the fridge, shape into sandwich bread tin
(late morning or afternoon): bake the bread
Can this be made 100% einkorn?
You can convert this to 100% einkorn French bread by using 5 cups total of einkorn flour and no regular all purpose flour.
Want more einkorn recipes? Learn how to make einkorn sourdough starter and find many of our favorite einkorn sourdough recipes in this ebook.
Tools Needed
Stand up mixer with dough hook or large bowl
Fork
Tea towel
Plastic wrap
2 baking trays
Parchment paper
Einkorn Sourdough French Bread Ingredients
1 cup active sourdough starter
1.5 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups einkorn flour
1.5 cups regular flour
How to Make Einkorn Sourdough French Bread
If you are an experienced bread baker, making sourdough French bread is a very similar, if not identical, process to making a regular boule. This dough will just be cut in half to make two loaves and shaped into French bread. Sourdough French bread is also baked on a baking tray instead of a dutch oven, and you may want to add ice cubes to the bottom of the oven to create steam for a better baking process. Enjoy!
Mix Ingredients:
Add the starter, water, salt, sugar, and olive oil to a stand up mixer or large mixing bowl. Use a fork to whisk ingredients together.
Next add the flour. Attach the dough hook if using a stand up mixer, otherwise, you can mix with your hands. Mix on medium speed (or knead with your hands) for 2-3 minutes until a nice dough is formed.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rest 30 minutes to an hour.

Stretch and folds:
Next you will perform your first set of stretch and folds. Gently pull up on one side of the dough with both hands, then fold that side over the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and do it again, until all 4 sides of the dough have been stretched and folded.
Again cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit on your countertop. At this point, you will want to do 2-3 more rounds of stretch and folds, about 1-2 hours apart.
Bulk ferment:
After a few rounds of stretch and folds, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to bulk ferment overnight.
In the morning, take the bowl out of the fridge and let it sit on the countertop for 30 minutes to an hour to warm up a bit.

Shape and second rise:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a clean countertop surface. Place the dough on the floured surface and, using a dough cutter or sharp knife, cut it in half.
Stretch each dough out into a rectangular shape, about 9×12 inches in size. Then fold the edges in toward the center, and the corners on each end as well. Pinch together the dough in the center and the corners so that it is sealed nicely.
Flip the dough over and place it on the parchment lined baking tray. Repeat for the second bread loaf dough.
Cover the loaves with a tea towel and let sit on the countertop 2-4 hours, or until doubled in size. Keep in mind the warmer your house is, the faster this fermentation process will go.


(poked by a little toddler finger)
Score and Bake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Grab a second baking tray and throw a cupful of ice cubes in it. You will place this baking tray in the oven at the same time as the bread loaves, which will help add moisture and steam to the loaves, similar to what a lid on a dutch oven would do.
Using a bread lame, score each loaf 3-4 times with about a half inch deep score.
Place the bread loaf tray, plus the ice cube tray in the rack below it, in the oven and bake at 375 for 30 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack at least 1 hour before cutting.

More Sourdough Recipes from the Homestead
Chocolate Cranberry Sourdough Bread Rolls
FAQ:
Why put ice cubes in the oven when baking sourdough bread?
Ice cubes melting in the oven creates steam and humidity that allows the sourdough bread to rise nicely and form a crispy crust.
What is the difference between sourdough and French sourdough bread?
French bread is distinguished by its crispy crust and longer baguette-like shape. A regular sourdough boule is a tall, round loaf compared to the longer and smaller French bread shape. French bread is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making it a delicious bread to eat with cheese, bruschetta, honey butter, or even a sandwich.
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Einkorn sourdough French bread
Sourdough French bread, especially when it’s made with einkorn flour, is a delicious blend of sourdough with the nutty flavors of einkorn. It’s crispy and flakey on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. A wonderful combination!
Ingredients
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups einkorn flour
- 1.5 cups regular all purpose flour
Instructions
Mix Ingredients:
- Add the starter, water, salt, sugar, and olive oil to a stand up mixer or large mixing bowl. Use a fork to whisk ingredients together.
- Next add the flour. Attach the dough hook if using a stand up mixer, otherwise, you can mix with your hands. Mix on medium speed (or knead with your hands) for 2-3 minutes until a nice dough is formed.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rest 30 minutes to an hour.
Stretch and folds:
- Next you will perform your first set of stretch and folds. Gently pull up on one side of the dough with both hands, then fold that side over the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and do it again, until all 4 sides of the dough have been stretched and folded.
- Again cover the bowl with a tea towel and let sit on your countertop. At this point, you will want to do 2-3 more rounds of stretch and folds, about 1-2 hours apart.
Bulk ferment:
- After a few rounds of stretch and folds, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to bulk ferment overnight.
- In the morning, take the bowl out of the fridge and let it sit on the countertop for 30 minutes to an hour to warm up a bit.
Shape and second rise:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour a clean countertop surface. Place the dough on the floured surface and, using a dough cutter or sharp knife, cut it in half.
- Stretch each dough out into a rectangular shape, about 9x12 inches in size. Then fold the edges in toward the center, and the corners on each end as well. Pinch together the dough in the center and the corners so that it is sealed nicely.
- Flip the dough over and place it on the parchment lined baking tray. Repeat for the second bread loaf dough.
- Cover the loaves with a tea towel and let sit on the countertop 2-4 hours, or until doubled in size. Keep in mind the warmer your house is, the faster this fermentation process will go.
Score and Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grab a second baking tray and throw a cupful of ice cubes in it. You will place this baking tray in the oven at the same time as the bread loaves, which will help add moisture and steam to the loaves, similar to what a lid on a dutch oven would do.
- Using a bread lame, score each loaf 3-4 times with about a half inch deep score.
- Place the bread loaf tray, plus the ice cube tray in the rack below it, in the oven and bake at 375 for 30 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack at least 1 hour before cutting.
Notes
Baker's Timeline:
Day 1 (morning): feed the sourdough starter (1 cup four + 3/4 cup filtered water)
(afternoon): make the dough
(evening): stretch and folds
(night): long ferment in the fridge
Day 2 (morning): pull dough out of the fridge, shape into sandwich bread tin
(late morning or afternoon): bake the bread
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