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When I first discovered Kernza, I purchased a few bags and tried it with a few adaptations of my recipes. My only “disappointment” was the attempt to sprout some Kernza berries - the result was about 50% germination. The following are the recipes that worked for me. I also posted these on the Perennial Pantry website.
Kountry Kernza
Yield: 1 two-pound loaf of bread
Time: 12 to 24 hours, depending on how the dough is proofed
Ingredients:
350 grams water
100 grams Kernza flour
400 grams All Purpose flour
75 grams ripe sourdough starter
9 grams sea salt
Equipment:
Kitchen scale
Proofing basket (optional)
Cloche or Dutch oven (or other suitable baking vessel)
Thermometer
Instructions:
I have been baking sourdough bread for several years. Most of the bread that I bake use a blend of flours with a preponderance of whole grain flours. I use some Kamut, an heirloom variety of wheat, in most of my breads. I decided to experiment with the 21st Century variety – Kernza.
To get a sense for how Kernza performs, I decided to begin with a basic sourdough recipe, a variation on the Sourdough Country Loaf recipe in Tartine Bread. This recipe is an adaptation that substitutes Kernza for the whole wheat flour.
*Timing for the bulk ferment is variable, depending on the temperature at which the dough is proofed. Refrigeration retards the process. Proofing time would be shorter if the dough is proofed at warmer than room temperature.
**If a softer crust is desired, increase the covered baking time
***Baking times will vary, depending on oven performance.
As an alternative to leavening the dough with sourdough starter, the home baker could use a poolish. Mix together 100 grams of water, 100 grams of AP flour and ¼ teaspoon active yeast. Let stand for about 12 hours. Then, add ¼ teaspoon active yeast, the remainder of the water and flour and the salt. Continue with the stretch & folds. Complete the bulk fermentation at room temperature and shape the dough after the dough has doubled in volume.
Honey Kernza Loaf
Yield: 1 two-pound loaf of bread
Time: 12 to 24 hours, depending on how the dough is proofed
Ingredients:
200 grams water (3/4 cup + 1 T)
180 grams scalded milk (3/4 cup + 1 T)
200 grams Kernza flour (1 3/4 cup)
100 grams whole wheat flour (7/8 cup)
200 grams All Purpose flour (1 3/4 cup)
30 grams honey (2 T)
2 T unsalted butter
75 grams ripe sourdough starter (1/3 cup)
9 grams sea salt (1 t)
Equipment:
Kitchen scale
Instructions:
Additional Comments:
This recipe is an adaptation of the “Honey Whole Wheat” recipe that is found on the packaging for Bob’s Red Mill Stoneground Whole Wheat. The recipe was first converted to sourdough and revised again by substituting Kernza for the whole wheat flour.
*The cold start, rather than, beginning in a pre-heated oven is optional. I prefer to bake this recipe in a terra cotta loaf pan for which the manufacturer recommends a cold start to avoid thermal shock.
**Baking time will vary, depending on oven performance.
The recipe could be baked using one package of active yeast instead of the sourdough starter. If so, begin by scalding the milk, mixing in the butter and honey and letting the mixture cool to room temperature. When the milk is cooled to lukewarm, add the yeast and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, mix all of the ingredients, knead well and let stand for about 2 hours. When the dough has doubled, continue with shaping the dough.
Heirloom Kernza
Yield: 1 two-pound loaf of bread
Time: 12 to 24 hours, depending on how the dough is proofed
Ingredients:
410 grams water (1 ¾ cups)
100 grams Kernza flour (7/8 cup)
150 grams Kamut whole grain flour (1 1/3 cup)
150 grams whole wheat flour (1 1/3 cup)
100 grams spelt flour (7/8 cup)
75 grams ripe sourdough starter (1/3 cup)
9 grams sea salt (1 t)
Equipment:
Kitchen scale
Proofing basket (optional)
Cloche or Dutch oven (or other suitable baking vessel)
Thermometer
Instructions:
I have been baking sourdough bread for several years. Most of the bread that I bake use a blend of flours with a preponderance of whole grain flours, including the heirloom varieties, Kamut and spelt. This recipe blends those two varieties with Kernza, a 21st Century variety of flour.
This recipe produced a hearty loaf of with all the nutritional benefits of the whole grain bread. The Kernza contributed to a rich, complex flavor profile.
*Timing for the bulk ferment is variable, depending on the temperature at which the dough is proofed. Refrigeration retards the process. Proofing time would be shorter if the dough is proofed at warmer than room temperature.
**If a softer crust is desired, increase the covered baking time
***Baking times will vary, depending on oven performance.
Blueberry-Lemon Kernza
Ingredients:
Zest of 2 lemons
400 grams ( 1 ¾ cup) liquid, juice of 2 lemons plus water
150 grams ( 1 1/3 cup) whole wheat flour
150 grams ( 1 1/3 cup) Kamut flour
100 grams (7/8 cup) Kernza
100 grams (7/8) AP flour
75 grams starter
2 T unsalted butter
30 grams honey
9 grams salt
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
½ cup dried blueberries
Instructions:
*Timing for the bulk ferment is variable, depending on the temperature at which the dough is proofed. Refrigeration retards the process. Proofing time would be shorter if the dough is proofed at warmer than room temperature.
**If a softer crust is desired, increase the covered baking time
***Baking times will vary, depending on oven performance.
Variation: Cranberry-Orange Kernza
Substitute zest and juice of one orange (Valencia orange preferred), walnuts and cranberries for the lemon, pecans and blueberries.
Amazing, thank you for sharing your recipes! All of them sound delicious. Was your crumb/texture pretty tight on the all whole grain flour bread, like my yecora rojo + kernza combo?
Here is the pic of the sprouted Kernza crumb - I made a loaf with the sprouts even though only about half of the berries sprouted. You can see the berries in the crumb.
All three breads look so delicious.
When Breadtopia intro’d Kernza grain I immediately ordered some and it arrived a couple days ago.
I came back to explore the processes/percentages you (or others use). I use a lot of heirloom grain in my breads, mostly spelt and kamut, and very little regular flour, and have been baking with nothing but my own homemade sourdough starter for longer than I can say.
So MT John’s “Heirloom Kernza” recipe spoke to me and I fired up my grinder…
Holy cow the flavor is out of this world. The rise was surprisingly good, although mine was flatter than MT’s - which I am ok with. I also modified the percentages a bit (less hard red grain, more spelt and Kernza. I am a bit of an unpredictable loose cannon sometimes and apparently this was one of those times….)
I am going to play around with the percentages, as well as try your recipe, Melissa- curious what aspect of the flavor is specifically from the Kernza. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas and recipes!
I think it’s great that you’re diving in to playing with different flour combinations and loving the flavors.
I find the Kernza to come through as herbal, a kind of grassy-nutty. I’ve been chatting with a baker online who is picking up molasses flavor in Kernza. We were speculating that either our taste buds are very different or there is a terroire thing going on – her Kernza is from a different farm.
I received 2 bags of this grain and before I waste any, I want to verify just 1/4 tsp of yeast in the pre-ferment and ZERO in the main dough. 1/4 tsp with a LOOOOOOOOOOON ferment time I’m used to but not under an hour to ferment. Is this right???
The preferment made for a bigger yeast population by the time it was added to the dough, but I totally hear you on wanting to get it right with this more spendy grain. I would watch the dough like a hawk 
and don’t transition the dough to the next step unless it has expanded by the target amount – and feel free to use more yeast if you want! Especially if your house is cold.
Thanks for the quick response. I’ll keep an eye on the little yeasties to make sure they are happy before moving on to the main dough.
Baked the yeast version of the recipe. What a very nice bread. Looks like it would have a heavy bran flavor but does NOT. Looks like it would be dense but it is NOT. A surprising sweetness and finally some actual nuttiness whereas so many claim that flavor, but don’t.
The 886 grams, per the recipe was a little shy for my oval baker so my next loaf will be 1100 grams…
I will tell as many of my baking friends about this grain as it has a real noticeable and enjoyable flavor AND can be a good piece to the regenerative agriculture puzzle. Hopefully enough people will bring about some positive economies of scale and help to lower the cost. This could be a win, win, for bread baking.
All in all, the cost would NOT prevent me from continued usage but may for others. Spread the word!
Thank you for sharing your impressions of the grain/bread, for the helpful and interesting analysis and for helping to spread the word!
Did you end up modifying the preferment or adding more yeast into the final dough?
No! I usually try to follow the recipe the 1st bake then play/mess it up, afterwords. The recipe worked as written.
I follow as much of Regenerative Agriculture as possible so this Kernza grain is a natural fit and tastes wonderful as an added plus.
With bread baking, I feel like there is a fair amount of “I followed the recipe and it didn’t work” so it’s always great to hear when a recipe works for people
