Whole Grain Kamut Sourdough Bread
This Whole Grain Kamut Sourdough Bread is incredibly delicious! The flavor of the Kamut is unmatched in my opinion.
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Kamut also known as Khorasan wheat has a wonderful nutty flavor. Also, being an ancient grain, Kamut is easier to digest than modern day wheat!
A few years ago, I really got interested in ancient wheat. I ordered several small bags to try them out and was amazed at the flavor of each. However, I was also amazed at the difference in how it reacts to the sourdough process.
I almost gave up on ancient wheat because it was quite different from what I was used to. But, it was worth it to keep working on it! The bread made with ancient whole wheat flour just has more flavor and is easier to digest than modern wheat. Ancient wheat has different gluten properties than it’s modern counterpart.
This difference in gluten make up is what makes it different to work with. It takes a bit longer to build structure, so, you do need to pay it a bit more attention during the bulk fermentation. Once you get used to working with these different types of wheat, you will learn the signs of fermentation and know when to shape and when to bake.
Why Kamut?
Kamut is my favorite of the ancient wheat varieties. This is for a couple of different reasons. First, Kamut flour makes a buttery and light loaf of bread. Second, bread made with Kamut flour has the most amazing flavor!
Ancient wheat has so much more flavor than conventional wheat making it a wonderful choice for your bread baking.
Organic Kamut Sourdough Bread is one of the healthiest breads you can make!
Why Sourdough?
Sourdough bread is a made by adding sourdough starter to your flour, water, and salt to proof or rise the dough. The end result is a bread product that is easier to digest than bread made with conventional yeast. This is possible because the sourdough ferments the dough and breaks down the hard to digest starches in the flour by predigesting them.
For this recipe, I use sweet whey as the liquid. Of course you can use water. I happen to have a lot of whey on hand since I recently started making some cheeses. They whey adds a touch of sweetness to the bread and softness.
To make this Kamut bread you will need:
- Kamut flour. I use freshly milled whole grain Kamut flour. You can purchase pre-ground flour, as well. This recipe will work with all purpose flour or bread flour as well. Keep in mind white flour won’t have the same flavor or health benefits as whole grain flour.
- Whey or water.
- Active/fed Sourdough starter.
- Sea Salt.
- Banneton or proofing basket or a tea towel lined colander.
- Dutch oven.
To start, grind 3 cups of Kamut grain which will yield about 3 1/2 cups of flour for this recipe.
This is the grain mill I have been using for years: https://collabs.shop/rxide2
Mix whey or water and sourdough starter together until combined. Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt. After mixing well, add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour.
Cover and let the dough rest 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.
Perform stretch and folds every 20-30 minutes for the next 2 hours.
After the last stretch and fold, cover and allow to ferment on the counter. Check the dough every 30 minutes for signs of fermentation. This will look like bubbles on the surface of the dough and the dough relaxing and spreading out in the bowl.
The thing to remember is that you want to catch the dough on the rise and not let it over ferment.
It may be tempting to let the dough rise and rise until it is huge in the bowl. But, keep in mind, if the dough expends it’s energy and does all the rising it came to do, you will not get much rise in the oven. Therefore, err on the side of under fermenting for ancient grains, especially.
Once the dough has risen for 4-6 hours, turn the dough onto your work surface and prepare your banneton basket by flouring it well.
Shape your dough into the shape of your basket and place seam side up in the basket.
Cover and allow to rise for 30 minutes to an hour.
Put in the fridge and start preheating your dutch oven to 450 degrees F.
Preheat the oven and remove the dough from the fridge. Turn over onto a piece of parchment paper. Slash the top with a lame or sharp knife.
Place in Dutch oven. Bake with lid on for 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes or until it is a beautiful golden color. The internal temperature should be at least 195 degrees F.
Remove the bread carefully and place on a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
For a Kamut Sourdough bread recipe made into a loaf, check this out: https://therosehomestead.com/sourdough-kamut-sandwich-bread/
Whole Grain Kamut Sourdough Bread
Equipment
- 1 Banneton basket or tea towel lined colander.
- 1 Lame or very sharp knife
- 1 Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups whey or water
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 cups Kamut Flour (I use freshly milled)
Instructions
- Combine starter and whey or water.
- Add 3 cups of the flour and salt, mix until well combined.
- Add remaining flour and mix well.
- Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Every 20 minutes for the next 2 hours perform a set of stretch and folds.
- After last stretch and fold, cover and allow to bulk ferment for an additional 2-3 hours.
- Turn dough onto work surface.
- Prepare the banneton basket or tea toweled line colander by generously flouring the basket or tea towel.
- Shape dough and place seam side down.
- Cover and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes to an hour.
- Place in the fridge.
- Preheat a dutch oven in the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Once preheated, remove the dough from the fridge.
- Turn the dough out of the basket onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Slash top with lame or sharp knife.
- Transfer to the dutch oven, put the lid on and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes or until deeply golden brown.
I have never made bread before. So what size Dutch oven do you use?
I use a 5 quart size dutch oven.
Do you feed your starter with Kamut or some other flour?
I feed my starter with whatever I have available at the time. But, normally, it will be either Kamut or Hard white wheat.
Hey, so I Bought fresh milled and when I mixed it first, it was very very dry. I’m rn into 1.5 hours of stretch and fold and it looks nothing like your picture in the bowl, its not stretching great, it’s definatley coming more together, but it feels tough. I followed the directions. HELP! lol
It will eventually come together. Try doing more stretching and folding closer together for the next hour or so. I would do a stretch and fold every 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
Hi….newish to sourdough bread making and wanting to make some bread with whole wheat kamut flour. So do you do this all in one day? No proofing overnight in the fridge?
Yes, I do this recipe in the same day. Freshly milled flour tends to over proof if left to rise too long. I like doing the same day recipes with it so I can keep an eye on it as it’s rising.
Do you have the ingredients listed in Grams by chance? 🙂
I would also like the grams as well – not sure what size you “cups” are 😉
I am new to sourdough bread but am on my third 10 lb bag of Kamut flour. I love the flavor!
In your video you mentioned using buttermilk in place of water or the sweet whey. Does that change anything about the fermentation time or anything else about the recipe process? On my other Kamut bread recipes I use a little honey. Is a sweetener not recommended or would that be ok?
Very excited to try this bread!
How do I covert this accurately to grams?
Thank you!
It’s in the oven now and it was getting to the 5 hr mark so I am baking but I really don’t know if it will be soft
I’ve been experimenting with bread for over a year with ancient grains, with some success, but not as consistently as I would like. Finding recipes for sourdough and ancient grains has been tricky. I’m excited to try this recipe this weekend.
Do you ever add in yeast for a faster process?