Ezekiel Bread

Bread, which is one of the oldest among the prepared foods, is now available in many different types. Whole grain breads are said to be more healthy as compared to that made of refined or enriched flour. Are far as the health aspects are concerned, Ezekiel bread is claimed to be highly beneficial.

What is Ezekiel Bread

It is a type of bread prepared from sprouted grains. The discovery of this bread is said to be inspired from the story of prophet Ezekiel, as described in the Holy Bible. As per Ezekiel verse 9 chapter 4 of the holy Bible, prophet Ezekiel was advised by the God to make bread out of six grains and six beans and use that during his long stay in the desert. It is interpreted that this bread offers complete nutrition and so, it is sufficient to eat this whole food for staying healthy. Inspired from the above said Biblical verse, the company called 'Food for Life', introduced sprouted grain bread that was named as Ezekiel 4:9.

Ezekiel bread ingredients include sprouts of six types of grains and six types of legumes (like whole wheat, malted barley, whole millet, whole barley, whole lentils, whole soybeans and whole spelt). It is claimed that such a combination of sprouts results in the creation of a protein that is similar to that found in milk and eggs. It is low glycemic and does not contain refined flour. It may contain small amounts of gluten, but you may go for gluten-free versions. If you want to include whole grains in your diet, then this bread can be a good option. Even though, it contains legumes and whole grains, Ezekiel bread is said to be easily digestible, because of the sprouting process. Apart from being tasty, this bread is nutritious too. A single slice (34 grams) of this bread provides around 4 grams of protein, 0.5 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams dietary fiber, 80 mg potassium and amounts to 80 calories.

Ezekiel Bread Recipe

This bread is considered a healthy alternative to regular bread and it is prepared as follows. Ezekiel bread ingredients include the following.

• Hard red wheat - 2½ cups
• Hulled barley - ½ cup
• Spelt (or rye) - 1½ cups
• Millet - ¼ cup
• Great Northern Beans - 2 tablespoons
• Red Kidney Beans - 2 tablespoons
• Pinto Beans - 2 tablespoons
• Green lentils - ¼ cup
• Honey - 1 cup
• Oil - ½ cup
• Yeast - 2 tablespoons
• Lukewarm water - 4 cups
• Salt - 2 tablespoons

Mix all the grains, lentils and beans and grind them to prepare flour. Take a large bowl and add oil, lukewarm water and honey. Mix them well, before adding the flour, yeast and salt. Now you have to knead the mixture for some time, so as to form dough. Once done, transfer the dough to two or three greased loaf pans (medium size) and keep the pans in a warm location for at least an hour. Allow the dough to rise, before baking them for 50 minutes in an oven that is preheated to 350º F. The above said is the simplest and easiest method of preparing this bread. You may also sprout the ingredients before preparing this bread.

In order to prepare sprouted Ezekiel bread, you have to mix all the grains (lentils, beans and grains) and divide them into three equal portions that have to be put in three glass jars. Now, add water to the jars and soak them for a day. Make sure to keep the jars covered with cheesecloth and secured with rubber bands. After 24 hours, drain the water and rinse the grains once again. Drain well and keep the jars with the grains covered (with no water) for another day, so that the sprouts develop. The next step is to drain the grains, before grinding them to a dough, that has to be kneaded with salt, honey and yeast. Now, keep the dough to rise and then bake it as described above.

You may include this bread in your diet and reap the health benefits. You may also collect some Ezekiel bread recipes and try preparing this healthy bread at home.