Kamut Flour Bread Recipe with Biga
Published June 7, 2019. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Elevate your bread making skills by making this Kamut flour bread recipe that uses an age-old Italian biga to make the lightest most delicious bread ever.
When it comes to bread making there are several techniques to use when needing your dough to rise. I’ve shown you how to make a sourdough starter (levain) from scratch and then I’ve used in a Spelt Flour bread recipe and a Graham Flour rustic wheat bread recipe. For this Kamut bread recipe, I’m going to be using something called a Biga which is an Italian pre-fermentation method to help break down the gluten and provide tons of delicious flavor. Kamut is not gluten-free.
Preferments: The process of using a small amount of commercial yeast mixed with 30% to 80% of the total flour and water in the bread recipe and letting it rest from 10 to 24 hours to ferment. It adds acidity, flavor and a shorter first rise when resting.
What Is Kamut
Kamut flour is a relative to modern-day wheat and seriously the most amazing flour to add to any baked good. Bob’s Red Mill Kamut is very finely ground and for comparison I would say it’s pretty dang close to an Italian 00 flour. That’s right, Kamut flour is insane for making pasta and bread, which is why I used it in this recipe.
Kamut brand Khorasan wheat was said to be found in Egyptian tombs. A man from the US received some of this wheat and eventually brought it back to the states where most of it is currently grown and harvested in the central north part of the US.
Using a Biga Recipe
Biga is a common Italian pre-ferment where you take roughly 50% of the total flour and about 40% to 45% of the total water and mix it together with a very small amount of yeast. You then cover it and let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 24 hours. The longer a biga recipe sits, the more intense the flavor it provides.
A biga is usually good to go once it triples in size. It will have a slightly domed top to it and will have some air bubbles running through it once it is ready to be used. Biga’s are commonly used in bread that is light and fluffy like focaccia and ciabatta.
Making Bread With Kamut
- Mix together 50% of the total flour with 45% of the total water at 80° to 82° and a small amount of yeast in a container until combined. Cover and rest for 10 to 24 hours or tripled in size.
- In a separate large container mix together the remaining flours, salt, yeast, and water at 100° to 102° until combined.
- Add in the biga and vigorously mix by squeezing and folding until combined, mix for about 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Fold the dough by stretching and turning 6 to 8 times every 20 minutes for 80 minutes. Cover and rest for 2 hours.
- Divide it on a floured surface and form two balls and set each in a proofing basked covered in a towel for 1 hour.
- Add each dough to a preheated Dutch oven pot and cook at 500° for 30 minutes covered and then uncover and cook for a further 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool the dough on a rack before slicing and serving.
chef notes + tips
- Since this Kamut flour bread uses a pre-ferment, the bread contains a higher acidity level allowing it to last for up to 10 days.
- This biga recipe is also perfect for bread such as ciabatta, baguette or pizza dough.
- Time and temperature are incredibly important so remember to keep the dough when rising in a warm place and to always check the temperature of your dough after kneading.
- If you don’t have a big bucket as I do in the video, it’s ok to use a large bowl with a towel over top.
More Amazing Bread Recipes
- Homemade Pita Bread Recipe
- Homemade White Bread
- Naan
- Country Artisan Loaf
- Graham Wheat Bread Recipe
- Sourdough
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
Video
Kamut Flour Bread Recipe with Biga
Ingredients
- 650 grams of Bread Flour
- 250 grams of Bob’s Red Mill Kamut Flour
- 150 grams of Ivory Wheat Flour
- 880 grams of water
- 25 grams of sea salt
- 4.5 grams of active yeast
Instructions
- In a large container mix together 550 grams of bread flour with 396 grams of water at 80° to 82° and .5 grams of yeast until combined. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 10 to 24 hours or until tripled in size.
- In a separate large container mix together the remaining 150 grams of bread flour, Kamut, ivory wheat flour, salt, remaining 4 grams of yeast and remaining 484 grams of water at 100 to 102° until combined.
- Add the biga to the mixture and vigorously mix it by squeezing, stretching and folding until completely mixed in, about 3 to 4 minutes. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Fold the dough by stretching and turning it 6 to 8 times every 20 minutes for 80 minutes.
- Cover and let rest for 2 more hours or until tripled in size.
- Divide the dough on a clean surface dusted with flour and form 2 dough balls. Transfer each to a floured proofing basket, cover with a towel and let proof for 60 to 90 minutes.
- Place 2 Dutch oven pots into an oven and preheat to 500° and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pots and place the dough carefully into each Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the outside of the bread is dark brown.
- Set on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- Since this Kamut flour bread uses a pre-ferment, the bread contains a higher acidity level allowing it to last for up to 10 days.
- This biga recipe is also perfect for bread such as ciabatta, baguette or pizza dough.
- Time and temperature are incredibly important so remember to keep the dough when rising in a warm place and to always check the temperature of your dough after kneading.
- If you don’t have a big bucket like I do in the video, it’s ok to use a large bowl with a towel over top.
Nutrition
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It’s very tasty. Nice texture. Though my crust wasn’t “craggy” looking. Cud be b/c I baked it at a bit lower temp. And I forgot to slash it. I will definitely make it again. I made 1/2 the recipe, having only 1 Dutch oven.
I think I’d add a bit more sea salt the next time – maybe a 1/4 tsp more.
I noted that in 3-4 spots when comparing the blog, the recipe, and the video, that amounts/instructions don’t quite jive. I’m an experienced bread maker so I soldiered on! 🙂 It wasn’t a big deal.
I used ground whole wheat flour b/c I cudn’t find the Ivory White flour. I read on one site that that was OK to do that. I will keep a lookout. Or go online.
The stretching and folding was so easy (and fun!) and took a short time. I found it easier to do with wet hands. I plan to do that step 4x – 5x the next time I make it.
I had to use more flour (hard bread flour) on the board (and my hands) when I was shaping it into a ball than I’d expected to need…
The first time I tried, I put the “quite soft” ball into my proofing bowl, but after about 15 minutes, I decided to give it a few more stretches and foldings. After the next 20 minutes, it was easier to shape into a ball and to get “proper skin”.
I used the poke test to assess for readiness for baking. (Using both a wet finger and a floured finger).
I used parchment paper in an old fondue bowl and placed the ball with the parchment paper into my hot Dutch oven and that worked well. The baked loaf came off the paper perfectly. Foolishly, I first added flour to the hot pot. It wasn’t needed, of course. Scorching hot flour doesn’t smell that great! I quickly discarded it.
When I removed my bread from the oven, the outside crust very, very hard, and I panicked a bit, but it softened very quickly. It took less time to reach the correct internal temp (200 degrees?) than the time stated on the recipe even though I had used 450 degrees vs 500. Perhaps b/c I use a convection oven?
As one person remarked, I think this wud be amazing with chopped and drained Kalamata olives.
Thanks for the recipe and the video!
Helen K, Burlington, Canada.
I couldn’t believe I made this without messing it up! So good and not difficult. Thanks!
Where can I get Kamut and Ivory wheat?
most likely amazon or a specialty grocer.
I had to sub AP flour for the Ivory Wheat Flour-it’s out of stock everywhere. I checked Amazon, Walmart Online, Bob’s Red Mill and Vitacost. It still tastes good! Have you used this for focaccia or pizza crust yet?
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Question about bread flour: is total amount 650g or 700g? In recipe it said 550 g in Biga and remaining 150g in dough.
650
great recipe. i am making for second time. And just also noticed the 550 and 150 in the recipe. So you should just add 100 extra, not 150?
I noticed in the video you put the dough ball into the brot form with the seam side down; I thought the seam should be up so when it’s turned out the seam is on the bottom.
Also, can half of the dough be retarded for a few days in the refrigerator? If so, would you do that before or after the bulk fermentation?
That’s because I did not want to score it, which you can see in the pictures for 1 of the loaves. You can retard for up to 24 hours but it’s best for 12-16 hours. After bulk.
In the notes you say time and temperature are “incredibly important “ and to check the temperature after kneading yet you don’t do that in the video nor is it mentioned in the recipe. I suppose you mean temperature during the stretch & fold sequence and then during bulk fermentation. Controlling ambient temp is easy enough; 75-80 degrees is standard for proofing but what should the dough temp be and how do you adjust it if it’s too low?
Time and temp of proofing environment, not dough. FInal cooking temp of cooked bread is also important.
Kamut Khorisan wheat is not modern. It is an ancient form of Durum wheat. A landrace – original and not crossed with anything. I buy the Kamut grain and mill it right before using. I use a wet sponge and 3 risings, then the one in the loaf pan. I will have to try your recipe and see how it compares.
Correct, I said it’s a relative to modern day wheat.
can 00 flour be substituted for the kamut flour?
There’s a lot of talk about this. You could, or fid a really fine semolina
Looks so tasty! Any recommendations for using a sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast for this recipe?
Yes I’ve got a Graham bread recipe that you could use the same process but with a starter.
Looks so delicious! Must try soon!
Pretty looking bread!! Sounds yum! I will have to give it a try..we love homemade bread!
This bread is incredible! Thank you for an delicious recipe!
Your bread recipes have inspired me so much! They are all so amazing, I can’t wait to keep baking through them!
I can’t wait to give this a try! Such an amazing bread recipe!