Einkorn Flour – for kids that hate the taste of wholegrain

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Wheat Flour. You’re damned if you eat it and damned if you don’t. Wheat has a bad reputation and causes the biggest hooha among those of us trying to feed our family real food.

It shouldn’t be this hard, but it is. The simple fact of the ugly wheat matter is that most of the wheat we eat today (and this includes wholewheat) has been hybridized aka genetically messed with. It’s a fantastic solution for food producers trying to feed more people with less space, but not so much for those of us trying to avoid these kinds of ‘Frankenfoods’ in our diet.

For years, I have been choosing wholegrain flour as an alternative to plain flour thinking that I was making the best choice.

At least I was getting the whole grain nutritional value even though it was a struggle to get my family to actually eat it. And it IS a STRUGGLE!  If you have been raised on a diet heavy in refined white flour, it’s a big taste and texture jump when you make the the change to wholegrain. 

Then, after all my hard work getting the kids to accept wholegrain, my daughter developed a sensitivity to gluten. wtf?

So I went back to being confused about which flour I should be using.

I tried almond, coconut, chickpea. All of them. But kept on coming up disappointed with the taste  of , well, everything. I admit, I really missed the flavor and texture that plain wheat flour gave my baking. 

Then I came across Einkorn Flour. And I was cautiously optimistic. So I ordered two bags of the regular einkorn flour from Jovial.


 

My Einkorn Flour Review

I made my first batch of pancakes and banana choc chip muffins the day my flour arrived.

And I’m so happy to say that it was awesome.

• The flour has a mild, nuttier flavor compared to plain flour, but nothing nearly as strong as wholewheat.
• It’s fine in texture and slightly more dense than regular plain flour but baked goods turn out just as ‘fluffy’.
• And – the best bit is that the kids loved it.                       

So if you’re tired of the strong whole wheat taste and the BS surrounding the wheat we are eating, and just want the family to actually enjoy your home baking, then give Einkorn flour ago. It’s a game changer.

What is Einkorn Flour

Einkorn wheat is the World’s most ancient wheat. Einkorn grew wild for millions of years before and was one of the first crops humans cultivated over 10,000 years ago. This is real wheat, the way it was meant to be.

1. It’s the only wheat that’s never been hybridized. 
2. It is the only variety of wheat we use today that has never been crossed with other species.
3. There is a much lower percentage of nutrient loss during processing of einkorn,
4. it can be substituted for wholewheat flour or plain flour in most recipes

The benefits of Einkorn Flour

Aside from tasting amazing and having a smoother, fluffier baking result than other wholegrain, Einkorn flour comes with a ton of benefits when comparing to traditional wheat flour.

• Einkorn has more 30% more protein than commercial wheat
• Einkorn has 15% less starch (sugars) than Commercial wheat flour.
• It has less gluten than traditional whole wheat.
• Einkorn is packed with more nutrients, vitamins, and dietary minerals than regular wheat plus abundant B Vitamins and trace minerals like iron
• Einkorn contains more carotenoids than modern wheat, which can help in preventing serious diseases, such as cancer.

Is Einkorn Flour Gluten Free?

The gluten in einkorn lacks the high molecular weight proteins that many people can’t digest. If you are sensitive to modern wheat, einkorn can provide an alternative.Please note that einkorn does contain gluten and is therefore not ok for those with Celiac Disease.

4 Reasons to make the change to Einkorn Flour

1. It tastes better
2. It’s better for you
3. It’s texture is more kid friendly compared to other wholewheat flours 
4. It’s just the way Nature intended

Can You Substitute Einkorn Flour for Regular Flour?

The simple answer is yes. I’ve successfully substituted Einkorn flour in most recipes including those calling for plain flour. 

• In most cases Einkorn can be substituted cup for cup with regular whole wheat flour in  muffin, pancake, cakes and cookie recipes.
• However, sometimes, the amount of liquid in the recipe needs to be reduced by roughly 10 -15%.
• All einkorn bread dough are no-knead, because excessive kneading does not help develop einkorn’s gluten.

Einkorn Flour vs. Modern Whole Wheat

Here are some of the biggest distinctions between einkorn flour and whole wheat. (13)

• Einkorn grains are smaller than grains of modern forms of wheat.
• Because einkorn is a pure wheat and not a hybrid, its genetic structure is different and it is easier to digest.
• Unlike many commercially produced grains, Einkorn flour has no additives. It is one of the purest flours you can use.
• Einkorn is a single grain without a crease separating parts of the grain. Modern grain has a pronounced crease which signifies genetic modification of the grain.   
• Einkorn has gluten, but seems to be easier to digest compared to the gluten found in modern wheat.  Although Einkorn does contain gluten, it’s a different type of gluten and passes the ELISA test, which is a commonly used laboratory test to detect gluten antibodies in the blood.
• Einkorn is a diploid like most plants, meaning it has two sets of chromosomes, while modern bread wheat has six sets. Is is just me, or is anyone a little concerned about this? 

Some of my favorite Einkorn Flour Recipes

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Einkorn Pancakes
Italian Bread with Sourdough Starter
Einkorn Flour Tortilla

Einkorn Flour Nutrition 

Source: Dr Axe

A 100-gram serving of einkorn flour contains about: (12)

• 1,450 calories
• 18.2 grams protein
• 2.5 grams fat
• 8.7 grams fiber
• 415 milligrams phosphorus (42 percent DV)
• 0.5 milligram thiamine (33 percent DV)
• 0.5 milligram riboflavin (29 percent DV)
• 4.6 milligrams iron (26 percent DV)
• 0.5 milligram vitamin B6 (25 percent DV)
• 3.1 milligrams niacin (16 percent DV)
• 2.2 milligrams zinc (15 percent DV)
• 390 milligrams potassium (11 percent DV)
• 312 IU vitamin A (6 percent DV)