Steamed Bread: Einkorn sandwich Sourdough bread
Do you like sourdough? You will not only LOVE this einkorn sourdough sandwich bread. You will also LOVE it’s texture and its improved taste, because steam cooking only improves on the taste of your food, and steamed bread is no exception. Explore steam cooking possibilities, health wise and taste wise, and you won’t be disappointed!
Are you looking for some steamed bread recipes? Although I do like steamed buns too, this post is not about making Chinese steamed buns. Of course, if you buy some frozen Bao and want to cook them, a good food steamer is the perfect place for it. However, this post is meant to show how food steamers can be used to cook more than just Bao buns! And as first example I will show you you can cook no less than your sourdough sandwich bread !
IN THIS POST:
Get More inspiring recipes like this and health tips every week in your Email box and get my 3 favorites Steamed Dessert Recipes
Make your ancient grain sandwich bread in a fabulous food steamer.
As I am a user of ancient grains including Einkorn, I will show how to make sourdough sandwich bread in my Vitaliseur steam cooker.
The Vitaliseur is the ideal steamer
The Vitaliseur is a metal steamer made of 18/10 stainless steel. It is highly efficient at allowing vapor free flow thanks to its large tank and large holes in the sieve ( or steam basket), and its bell shaped lid. Most vegetables within 1-3 (green leafy vegetables) or 5 to 7 minutes. Meat or fish need 5 to15 minutes depending in thickness and consistency, and grain ( 15 to 20 minutes). Presoaked beans only need 5 minutes for lentils to 20 minutes for black beans.
It also cooks soft, delicate cakes in normal time, despite a lower temperature of 202°F ( 95°C), like a standard oven would at 375. As a bonus, you get an incredible flavor – yes, the flavors are improved on in the steam cooker! – and soft consistency. The steamer does not contain a steam basket attachment: the steamer basket is a real, most important part of the steam cooker. Learn more about the Vitaliseur steam cooker here and there.
Sourdough can also be cooked in a food steamer
Be aware that this sourdough bread recipe is only one of many steamed bread you can bake in a steam cooker. The only difference between bread cooked in an oven and in a food steamer is the crust consistency . For a sourdough boule, we do love a strong, crunchy crust. Therefore we cook ours in a dutch oven or in a ceramic oven. However, since the ideal sandwich is soft and fluffy on the inside, this bread does great and rises wonderfully in a food steamer ! You will love the result. As we go forward, I will share more delicious ancient wheat bread recipe you can cook in there.
What kind of food steamer can I use to cook sourdough sandwich bread?
In other words, how is my steam cooker different than a pressure steamer?
Of course, you could try steaming your sourdough using the basket in your pressure cooker, or instant pot. However, be aware that the steam function of both these pots – at least as a pressure cooking tool – is a different, high temperature steam. This means that the temperature rises beyond boiling temperature and destroys much of the nutrients that are heat sensitive. If like me you grind your own grain ( I use my Komo grinder !!), you are probably seeking the nutritional advantages of whole organic grain too. Destroying your hard earned nutrients is therefore, not the ideal.
It cooks faster
Also, I cannot provide cooking time in a pressure cooker. Most times pressure cooking seems “faster”. However by the time you heat the water an obtain enough pressured steam to pressure cook your ingredients, a gentle steam cooker like the one I own would probably be done cooking most or all of your meal. Secondly, pressure cooking cooks our foods at very high temperature ( 120°C /450F) i.e. above boiling point. This destroying many nutrients.
For these reasons I obviously don’t use a pressure cooker. Thefore, If you are curious about pressure cooking bread, rely on another blogger to tell you how and how long to cook it.
Perfect size
Lastly, I rely on my own brand of stainless steel steamer on account of its size too. A sourdough bread loaf needs a 8 inch loaf pan, and not many loaf pans this size fit in any food steamer.
What mold or loaf pan do I use?
I own non stick loaf pans, but by far the best is my carbon steel 8 inch loaf pan, which is steel ustensils safe . You either have to grease it well with olive oil before cooking or line it with unbleached parchment paper. Placing parchment paper lining in the pan helps getting a more delicate bread like sourdough sandwich bread out without shredding part of the dough.
What are the steps to making that sandwich bread
Ingredients
This recipe is as anti inflammatory as can be. Therefore I do not use any dairy. Therefore you won’t need any warm milk. I made this bread successfully with water at room temperature to 100°F (slightly above body temp). I would possibly use goat kefir to make it again.
This bread is made of freshly ground whole einkorn flour, my own einkorn starter, pinch of salt – grey sea salt to be exact – and extra virgin olive oil and a bit of sugar. You can also use all purpose flour from einkorn ( jovial foods) in the same amount of freshly ground whole wheat flour. I use my komo grinder for this purpose. It truly grinds the thinnest, softest flour which I do not feel the need to sift.
Baking Steps
1* In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients.
2* Mix your starter starter with warm water
3* pour starter and water into dry ingredients, and mix with a spatula until water is all soaked into the dough.
4* No need to stretch and fold. Let rise for about 5 hours.
5. Shape the bread, transfer the dough to the loaf pan and proof 30 minutes,
6 . 10 minutes before cooking, heat up the steam cooker on high heat with 2 inches of water. Cook for 50 minutes.
Specifications about rising the dough
* I don’t use instant yeast. I use starter. If I ran out of sourdough, dont have time or have activities to rush to, I use active dry yeast (15g) and rise for only one hour.
* Let rise the dough in a warm place covered with plastic wrap or wax wrap for about 5 hours. I don’t recommend starting the rise in the fridge, as current winter temperatures may slow down the rise drastically, and make rise time management a bit difficult, at least until you know how high this bread’s rise is supposed to go.
In this season of winter, the best place to start the rise is a warm food steamer that you just turned off. Just set the lid apart and place your ceramic bowl in . As the steam dissipates away, it gives a first warm boost to your dough to start rising. It really has been helping starting all my bread fermentations, as well as starter and levains in the cold winter months. After a few minutes, you can take your mixing bowl out. Do not rise in a metal bowl in a steam cooker as the steam may overheat the bowl ( which conducts the heat better than ceramic) and slightly cook the dough.
You will know your dough rose enough when you see a rise of 1/3 approximately ( einkorn does not rise as high as standard bread flour) and large air bubbles on top. Beware: if the dough is flat on top, it means it is close to being risen to its max. It’s time to shape the dough and place in a mold!
Shaping the dough
shape the dough on a work surface or wooden cutting board. how to shape? Use plastic bread scrapper and scrap the dough along the side of the mixing bowl all around the bread. You should be able to get a ball out without much effort. Do not knead the dough so you don’t break the rising bubbles. Jst turn the bread around and bring the two edges of the round ball toward the center of the dough to give the bread an oblong shape. Do the same with the two other sides of the dough, bringing them slightly toward the center, to give it a more rectangular shape. Then after lining your loaf pan with parchment paper, place the bread upside down, laying the dough on the seam side. Cover with wax paper for half an hour to an hour. 15 minutes before cooking, turn on the steam cooker on high heat with water in the tank.
Proofing the Bread
It is short, may be 1/2 hour to one hour. If you have an oven bread proof function, you can use it. Or let proof on your counter.
Steaming process
It is simple. Turn on the stove on high heat, filled with 2 inches of hot water. An electric kettle may speed up the heating of your steamer for anything you need to do! Wait until it steams abundantly before you place your mold onto une sieve ( or steamer basket) and cover. There is enough space for a 8 inch rectangular loaf, with 1/4 inch space on each side.
Equipment F.A.Q.
If you don’t have a food steamer with a large food basket, read up about my favorite steam cooker, the Vitaliseur. What you can cook in a steamer and how fast it works, as well as the taste of the foods you cook truly hinges on the size of your steamer, as well as the size of its holes. Smaller steamers, plastic steamer and bamboo steamers have smaller holes which pass smaller amount of gentle steam, making less efficient than the Vitaliseur.
Do I need a stand mixer for this recipe ?
No. Einkorn is not a grain that needs much mixing. A few stretch and fold may strengthen its gluten, but for this recipe, it is not needed. Stretch and fold is easily made with your hands or a plastic dough scraper.
What loaf pan size is need?
8 inches. Use this one it is perfect, non toxic and conducts heats perfectly.
How do I store my sandwich bread?
Store the whole bread in the fridge for a few days. If you want to keep it by freezing, slice the bread and lay all slices down on a cooking sheet. Once frozen, keep in an airtight container.
Since this bread is not a stuffed bun, no rolling pin is needed for this recipe.
What does it pair well with ?
It is very good with avocado and smoked salmon a sa sandwich. Spread a cod fish spread on top, or one of your steamed fruit spread ! Anything goes. I tested it at lunch as a sandwich successfully. I haven’t tried transporting it for my lunch yet.
Bon appétit !
I hope sourdough fans will enjoy this original suggestion of steaming your sandwich bread ! If you are interested in steam cooking to make any other gourmet dishes, meals, deserts and starters, bookmark my website, follow me on facebook, Pinterest or instagram ( or all), and sign up to my newsletter! stay tune for more creative ideas coming your way, so you can make 2025 your healthiest, most gourmet cooking and eating year yet!
Go to the dough recipe
Sourdough Einkorn Sandwich Bread
If you are fond of ancient grain, did you ever think you could cook your bread in a steam cooker? Sandwich bread is the perfect bread to start with. The result: a nutty tasting, nutritious bread with perfect rise and soft consistency , perfect for your sandwich needs, and the perfect introduction to baling with a stainless steel food steamer !
Ingredients
- 450 freshly ground whole einkorn flour or all purpose einkorn flour. If your whole einkorn flour is store-bought, take about 50 grams out.
- 100 g refreshed einkorn starter - or recent discard - alternatively 15g yeast
- 300 grams/ ml warm water
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grey sea salt ( or celtic salt, richer in minerals than iodized salt and better for fermentation)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: freshly milled flour and salt
- Dissolve the starter in warm water. Pour le mix into the mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, mix all together until the water is absorbed. rest 15 minutes covered with a plate. Then turn the bread.
- To turn the bread, flour a work surface. Take the ball of dough and put it on the surface. Flatten the dough a bit bu stretching it to about 12 inches. If you picture a Christmas card that opens into three equal sized panels, fold the right panel over the middle panel, then the left panel over the rest. Turn the dough 90 degrees, then stretch it again and fold the other side. Stretch to 10-12 inches, and fold left and right to the center again. A second time. Let it rest 15 more minutes.
- Bread rising. Place the dough into the mixing bowl again and cover with wax wrap. I usually add a large rubber over it to make sure it is air tight. Ferment 3 to 5 hours depending on the temperature ( shorter in the summer, longer in the winter). After 3 hours, verify the level of the dough. It should have risen by about 30%. The flatter the dough at the top of the bowl, the closer it is to maximum fermentation. The rounder and denser, the longer it needs.
- With a plastic scraper, push the side of the dough down along the sides of the bowl, until you obtain a round dough. Stretch and fold the end of the dough toward the center a few times.
- Lay down the dough on a wooden cutting board with a bit of flour. turn it around, and stretch the dough a bit to 8 inches if need be. Seam the bread by pulling each side toward the center and pressing end together. Repeat twice. At the end, finally seal the two end together.
- After lining or greasing your loaf pan, place the dough into it on the seam side. Let it rest 1/2 hour to an hour. You can slash its top to give it the shape you want.
- 10 minutes before cooking, fill the tank of your Vitaliseur steam cooker with 2 to 2 1/2 inches water. Heat water with an electric kettle to go faster.
- Cook the bread for 40 - 50 minutes with the lid over it on high heat. To make sure it is fully cooked, use a knife and place a hole to the middle, take it out. There should be only very minimal dough left on the knife.
- Take the bread out and let it cool down on a rack. It should be easy to take out of the pan, but is not necessary.
Notes
100g starter vs. 30g starter and levain:
I use 100g starter without using levain to gain time. If you prefer, you can use 30g starter and make a levain dilute with 130 g water and freshly 100 g whole einkorn flour ( 90 if it is store bought). Levain needs 8 hours to be ready to use. With levain, this bread only needs 350 g einkorn flour and 190 ml warm water. Mix the levain with warm water, then pour it into the bowl with einkorn flour and sea salt. Mix until water is absorbed. Let rest 15 minutes then turn the bread.
My strategy in the summer: I usually refresh my starter early afternoon, make levain in the morning, start the bread at night and long ferment in the fridge.
In the winter however, because of lower temperatures in the house, I prefer refreshing my starter in the morning and making the sandwich bread in the afternoon without levain, then cook it at night. I often use that method in the summer too because I have less time, and use long fermentation for my French boule.
If you don't have einkorn starter, use your normal wheat starter and refresh it with 30 g warm water and 10g of your starter, 60 grams of einkorn flour. Place it in a different container. It should rise by about a third. You can use the method it this video to start your starter from scratch, or transform a friend's wheat starter into einkorn starter.
Other recipes
Other cakes I cook in Vitaliseur there: lemon cake, banana bread, gluten free melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake.
Want to try ancient grain bread? Try my Kamut-Khorazan French boule!
What else can you cook in the Vitaliseur steam cooker? Cook your rice ( and taste the difference from other methods!), your fish, chicken, sea food, beans, vegetables, root vegetables !
Make fruit spread, cakes, vegetable medleys, precook ingredients for fried rice, your quiche, shepherd pie, and more !
