Einkorn biscuits are flaky buttermilk biscuits made from scratch with just five ingredients. Top them with gravy, jam, or butter for the perfect bite with your morning coffee.
Heather's recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Flaky, tender biscuits with a golden hue and slightly nutty flavor. Made with 100% ancient grains!
Yield: 7 biscuits
Similar to: Cast Iron Buttermilk Biscuits and Blueberry Biscuits
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About einkorn flour
Einkorn is the most ancient form of wheat, with a unique genetic makeup that makes it easier to digest and more nutrient-dense than modern wheat.
- Higher in protein, minerals, and fiber.
- Weaker gluten structure, making it easier to digest.
- Its complex, nutty flavor makes modern wheat taste bland in comparison.
- Adds a beautiful golden hue to baked goods.
For more information: Grand Teton Ancient Grains - Einkorn Nutritional Benefits
Ingredients and substitutions
- Einkorn flour - Whole wheat or all-purpose einkorn flour works in this recipe. If you only have all-purpose flour on hand, follow my recipe for Cast Iron Buttermilk Biscuits instead.
- Buttermilk - Don't have buttermilk on hand? Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then fill to the 1-cup line with whole milk and wait 5 minutes before continuing with the recipe as written.
How to make einkorn biscuits
- Add dry ingredients to a bowl. Grate cold butter into the bowl, toss to coat, and stir in buttermilk.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a rectangle.
- Fold rectangle in half, turn, and pat into a rectangle. Repeat 4x.
- Cut biscuits out of dough, reforming leftover dough to make 7 biscuits total.
- Place biscuits in a buttered cast iron skillet.
- Bake until biscuits are lightly browned on top and look set.
Tips and tricks
The importance of folding dough - Folding biscuit dough is one of the most important steps in making biscuits. The goal of folding is to create layers of cold butter throughout the dough. Once baked, this makes those flaky, tender layers in your biscuits.
Dough looking dry? - Einkorn takes longer to absorb liquids than all-purpose flour. Your biscuits may look dry at first. As they bake, the flour will continue to absorb liquids. Trust me, you'll want all the flour listed in the recipe to ensure your biscuits don't turn out soggy.
Biscuit cutter - Don't have a biscuit cutter? Any sharp, thin-edged household items can work if you'd like round biscuits. A drinking glass, mason jar ring, or cookie cutter can work as a substitute. You can also slice dough into squares with a knife and bake on a sheet pan.
Use cold butter - When baked, the butter melts and creates steam, which makes little pockets of air inside your biscuit. Make sure your butter is cold and don't handle the dough so much that the butter melts.
Frequently asked questions
There are several einkorn farmers and millers in the US and abroad. Here are my favorite vendors for purchasing whole wheat einkorn flour:
- Barton Springs Mill
- Grand Teton Ancient Grains
- Jovial Foods (sometimes available at your local grocer)
No, einkorn is a wheat and forms gluten. However, einkorn has a weaker gluten structure than modern wheat and is often easier to digest for most people.
This recipe yields about seven 3-inch round biscuits, or ten 2.5-inch round biscuits. The quantity depends on the thickness of your dough and size of your biscuit cutter.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Einkorn Biscuits
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300 g) einkorn flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, cold, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 1 cup (227 g) buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Lightly butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet (or similarly sized baking dish) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add einkorn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and remove clumps. (Alternatively, add to a food processor and pulse a few times).
- Grate cold butter using the large side of a box grater and add to flour mixture, tossing to combine. (Alternatively, add to food processor and pulse until butter is pea sized. If using a food processor, pour mixture into a large bowl at this time).
- Make a well in the center of your flour mixture and add buttermilk. Gently stir until ingredients are mostly incorporated. Dough will look shaggy and sticky. Pour dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Gently pat dough with lightly floured hands into a large, flat rectangle, about 10-12 inches wide and about ¾ inch thick. Keep extra flour nearby and continually flour the surface, dough, and your hands as needed. Fold dough rectangle in half, turn to the right to make your new rectangle horizontal, and gently pat back into a large rectangle. Repeat 4 times, folding your dough 5 times in total. Pat dough into a large rectangle, about ¾ inch thick.
- Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, cut biscuits out of dough (do not twist your cutter, this seals the edges). Reform leftover dough gently and continue cutting until all dough is used - you should get about 7 to 8 biscuits.
- In prepared cast iron pan, place biscuits close together (or touching if possible) for a better rise in the oven. Bake for about 18-22 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned and biscuits look set.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Homemade biscuits keep for 1-2 days at room temperature in a sealed container, up to 1 week in the refrigerator, or 2-3 months in the freezer. If freezing, seal tightly with foil or plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe container.
- Einkorn flour measurements: 1 cup = 100 grams
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!