I'm kind of a
sprouting newbie. I do mung beans regularly, along with other things, but I've never tried sprouting wheat for my bread. I always thought,
"How do I get the watery sprouts to grind up for flour, or how do I add sprouts to my bread and not feel like I through in a handful of grass?" Not to appetizing. I do know that sprouting exponentially increases the nutritional value of a seed or grain. Soaking it in water tells the kernal that it's time to grow so it releases all the good stuff that's dormant inside.
The vitamins and minerals and protein content goes up dramatically. Plus it just makes the bread taste that much better! I promise!
It does take some time, about 36 hours.
But sprouted wheat bread is Oh, So worth it!So let's start at the beginning. Get a large jar. I'm recycling a large Pickle jar that has been washed.
The ratio of wheat to water is
1 part wheat to 2 parts water. So fill your jar or other containter up with the appropriate amounts.
Set the jar aside and let sit.
After 12 hours change the water in the jar.
This is what it looks like at 24 hours.
The wheat kernals have swelled considerably.
You can now see the tiny tails that are just starting to poke through.
This is as far as you need them to sprout.
Don't leave the wheat in longer than 36 hours as they will start to grow undesirable bacteria.
Drain water and spread the wheat onto a dehydrator drying tray.
Turn the dial down on your dehydrator to no higher than 148 degrees.
This keeps the newly emerged vitamins and minerals still viable.
If you go too hot, you just killed the vitamins and they won't do you any good.
Here's a close up of the kernals.
You can kind of see the little tails on each berry.
I let my dry overnight, or about 10-12 hours.
Here's the berrys dried.
They are still slightly swollen from a normal wheat berry, plus the little tails.
Grind the wheat as normal.
Just make sure they are completely dry.
You don't want to put wet grain into your grain grinder.
For this batch of bread, I didn't sprout enough wheat, so I added a 1 cup soft white wheat, and 2 cups hard red wheat to my grinder and blended it all up together.
Now to make bread.
Sprouted Maple Apple Oatmeal Bread
(a mouthful I know, but oh so yummy!)
Get out your large mixer, I'm using a Bosch.
You'll have to half the recipe if you're using a Kitchen-aid.
Layer the following:
4 cups warm tap water
1/2 cup applesauce or oil (I prefer to use applesauce)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp maple extract
2 eggs
3 Tbsp dough enhancer
3 Tbsp vital gluten
2 cups rolled oats (my favorite is Honeyville's 6 grain rolled cereal)
2-3 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp yeast
Mix for about 1 minute. Let rest 10 minutes.
Add the whole wheat flour one cup at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.
I added about 1-2 cups of white flour, but you can stay with the whole wheat if desired.
Knead for 6 minutes.
While the dough is kneading, in another container you will need 4 cups coarsely chopped apples.
Since it's not really apple season right now, and I had some canned apples in water that I decided to use.
You could also grate a few fresh apples with the same fabulous results.
I measured out what I needed and cut the pieces up with my pastry blender.
After 6 minutes of kneading, add the apples and 2 Tbsp sea salt.
I learned this trick recently and I will use it forever after.
Salt kills the yeast and when you add it towards the end of the kneading cycle, the
bread raises higher and better.
I also added about 1-2 cups white flour here because adding the apples greatly increased the moisture
and the dough got too sticky. You don't want to add wheat flour at this point because there won't be time to develop the gluten in the newly added flour.
Knead for another 3 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a well oiled surface.
Shape into loaves and place in bread pans sprayed with cooking spray.
Slash the tops with a serrated knife or kitchen lame.(that's a special bread knife just for slashing dough)
Sprinkle the tops with oats, cover with plastic and let rise until about 1 inch above the rim of the pan.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
When the oven is ready, place loaves in oven and drop temperature to 350 degrees.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature is 210 degrees.
Remove and place on wire racks to cool.
I brushed the tops with shortening.
This bread is light, fluffy, and super yummy!
Plus you packed in a whole lot of sprouted whole grain goodness!
Mmmm... sprouted whole grain bread.
It's an amazing thing!
