Easy Sourdough Bread | with Whole Grain Kamut | Perfect for Toasting

I have a number of fermented dough creations on this blog but there is never enough easy sourdough bread recipes! My favorite ‘easy’ bread is this Whole Grain Rye Spelt Sourdough that comes together in minutes. But I wanted something light and white-ish, and that’s how this recipe came about.

WHY KAMUT FLOUR

I have become quite a fan of Kamut, because aside from its remarkable health benefits, it is a grain that doesn’t turn dough whole-wheat-brown color. I have 42% of whole ground Kamut berries in this recipe and the bread doesn’t look ‘whole-wheatish’ at all.

That to me, having baked with many types of wheat, is a wonder and a mystery. And a win on top of that! A win because as the kids are getting more out into the world, giving them a piece of brown bread and saying ‘that’s what everybody eats’ doesn’t seem to work any more…

Kamut wheat has this sweet, complex and some describe it as ‘buttery’ flavor. Since I started adding it to my doughs, my family keeps saying that my breads are ‘best ever’. Before, I was in serious competition with Whole Foods bakery, so – thank you, Kamut!

WHAT IS KAMUT WHEAT

Kamut, Triticum turgidum ssp. turanicum, commonly khorasan wheat, is an ancient relative of regular wheat. It has avoided hybridization that resulted in modern wheat changing its genetic composition to become high-yielding, flavor-lacking, hull-less crops, which need to be protected via large quantities of pesticides.

Kamut is a registered trademark of a company that brought the grain to market. It’s a pretty neat story of how it all started that you can find here.

Kamut berry is a lot larger in size than modern wheat berry. It is also nutritionally superior – it contains 40% more protein, and exponentially more antioxidants. It is easier digestible than modern wheat, and maybe a good alternative if you always feel discomfort and bloating after eating wheat.

WHERE TO GET KAMUT BERRIES

Whole Foods has Kamut berries in the bulk section. I order them on Amazon and get these 10lbs bags, it is a much better deal than Whole Foods. I use my KoMo Mio Grain Mill for grinding. It is expensive but it is absolutely worth it if you are serious about whole grain baking.

For many years, I used Victorio Mill, and it served me well until I made an upgrade to KoMo. Victorio is relatively inexpensive and might be good for those who are just getting started with home milling.

INGREDIENTS

• 350 g (about 1.5 cups) water, warm
• 225 g (1 cup) strong sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 300 g (2.5 cups ) whole grain Kamut flour (I mill Kamut berries)
• 300 g (2.5 cups) all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur organic or VitaSpelt)
• 15 g (2.5 teaspoons) salt 
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast (optional, use if your starter is weak)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a bowl of a stand mixer, whisk 350g warm water with 225g sourdough starter until it looks like frothy milk. 

Add sifted 600g flour (300g all-purpose flour and 300 whole-grain Kamut). I use a sieve to sift the flour into the bowl.
Add 15g salt and 1 teaspoon dry yeast, if using. 
Using a stiff spatula or a spoon, mix everything until it looks like torn up pieces. 

Connect the bowl to the mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead for 5-10 minutes. 

Sprinkle the dough with flour, knead with your hands into a smooth ball. 
Place the dough in a greased large bowl, cover, and leave to ferment at room temperature.

This might take anywhere from 5 to 10 hours: look at the dough, not the time. It should rise significanly and look soft and puffy. 
Once ready, divide the dough into 2 pieces, shape them into long boules, about 9-10″ long. 
Place boules on parchment covered cookie sheet. Cover with plastic or a tea towel. Leave to rise for 1-2 hours. You should see a significant increase in size. 

Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 425ºF. 
Slash the dough with a bread knife or lame. I usually do 3 diagonal cuts but one long one in the middle looks pretty too. 
Place the boules in the over, and sprinkle oven generously with water. Bake for 10 mintues.
Reduce temperature to 350ºF, and bake for 15 more minutes.