Regular wheat flour is one of the great wonders of the culinary world – it has helped civilisations grow, fuelled societies for millennia and is the backbone of beloved breads, cakes, pastries and many more delights from all over the world.

But before the Green Revolution of the 1950s, where modern wheat varieties were developed to be hardier, more resistant and give higher yields to farmers, there were what we now call the ‘ancient grains’ – varieties of wheat and other cereals which were harder to grow but had their own unique characteristics.

These ancient grains – specifically einkorn, wholemeal spelt and wholemeal rye – are starting to find their way back into our bakes. They’re high in fibre (something more and more of us are taking notice of); offer a more intense, distinct flavour than regular wheat and change the textures of the breads and bakes they’re used in.

We love using these flours in our baking – here are some of our favourite recipes showcasing their beautiful qualities.

Known as the ‘mother of all wheat’, einkorn was the first ever variety of this staple crop to be cultivated in the world. That makes it seriously ancient. It all but disappeared from the UK until Doves Farm reintroduced it in the 1980s, wanting more people to discover its earthy, savoury and almost ‘rustic’ flavour.

The best way to get to grips with the flavour of einkorn is to use it in a simple recipe with few other ingredients – and these biscuits are the perfect place to start. With just a bit of sugar and butter to enrich the dough, these biscuits will really highlight the complexity in this very special wheat.

Combining einkorn with other time-honoured and traditional flavours is a no-brainer, and this apple and hazelnut loaf cake is a simple recipe that produces incredible results. The trio of lead ingredients work in perfect harmony, becoming more than the sum of their parts and filling your kitchen with comforting aroma as it bakes.

Spelt isn’t quite as ancient as einkorn, but it’s still remained the same for thousands of years, unlike modern wheats which have been cross-bred and hybridised. It’s got a real maltiness to it, which when milled into flour really comes through in the final flavour. It’s why you’ll see a lot more bakers highlighting it in their creations – more and more people know that it brings a lot more to the table than standard flour.

Muffins tend to get overlooked in the world of baking – pastries and cakes tend to hog the limelight. These muffins will change that. Made nutty with spelt and containing bursts of fruity tang from the berries, they’re finished off wonderfully with a crunchy crumble topping – providing a whole spectrum of contrasting texture and flavour.

Of course, while spelt can temper sweetness in the likes of muffins, it adds extra nutty depth to savoury bakes too. These scones are already delicious, thanks to the nuggets of cheddar studded throughout and the mustard powder in the dough, but the use of spelt (both white and wholemeal) brings everything together in a way plain flour can’t. They’re ideal for stuffing with ham or just toasted and buttered.

Rye flour is often associated with those wonderfully dark, chewy loaves of bread from the likes of Germany and Scandinavia, but it’s got so much more to offer. Being lower in gluten than regular wheat flour means you won’t get the same stretchy, bouncy crumb, but instead you get something dense and rich which has enough flavour of its own to stand up to bold spicing.

Hopefully the image of these cookies alone is doing all the persuading, but it’s the rye in the dough that really makes everything balanced. Some cookies can end up being too cloyingly sweet; the rye here balances out the chocolate, with big chunks of pecan adding their inimitable flavour.

Combining the nuttiness of rye with more nuts is a natural win, and this cake is one of those knockout showstoppers that actually tastes as good as it looks. With soured cream, coffee and cocoa also in the cake batter it’s a really complex, not-too-sweet sponge, with the hazelnut cream and figs providing a distinctly sophisticated flavour profile.