Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Sprouted Wheat

For sprouted wheat bread (flourless). A first.

The wheat on the right has been sprouting for 42 hours. (On the left is what I started with - a hard winter wheat.) I think it's ready but I'm not. I'll put it in the fridge to slow growth until tomorrow. I hope it still works.

How To Sprout

Soak - Rinse wheat. Place into a bowl. Cover with tepid water and let soak, at room temperature, for 8 to 12 hours.

Sprout - Drain soaked wheat, rinse, and strain. Cover bowl with a damp towel. Store in a dark place at room temperature. Rinse thoroughly (immerse in tepid water first) every 12 hours, for between 36 and 48 hours, depending on how warm your room is. Keep the towel damp.

See Part 2 for The Grind.
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Photo: Bix

6 comments:

Perovskia said...

I don't mean to ask a rhetorical question (I don't have any knowledge of sprouted wheat). Why would you do this? Benefits? What will you do with it? Would you be using this to replace regular wheat flour? Sorry for all the questions :)

Bix said...

I've always wanted to try something like this. This is my first attempt. I have a feeling it won't be my last.

The plan is to just make bread with this, no flour, correct. It's exciting!

Anonymous said...

I often buy the alvarado bakery sprouted wheat sliced bread and enjoy it very much. Look forward to your results, and hopefully a recipe. Is mold ever a problem with sprouting? I bought a moldy tasting freshly baked sprouted wheat loaf one time.

Bix said...

Alvarado makes some great breads!

Mold is a problem with sprouting. Rinse, rinse, rinse ... or a slimy fungus will exploit the warm, moist, food-endowed environment. Fungi like baked bread too. I admire such successful opportunism.

Another challenge of making bread from whole grain, something I discovered making starters from whole grain flour ... the oils present in the whole grain go rancid. They'll oxidize in warm, moist environments. (Oils are present in the germ, which is typically removed during processing of the grain to make all-purpose flour.) You can't halt oxidation, but you can delay it. This is why antioxidants - like vitamin E or its odious analog BHT - are added to bread.

I think my sprouts grew a little too long :|

Perovskia said...

Will you grind them when their done?

Bix said...

Now that was a great question. See my next post, P.