Sprouted Grain Bread Recipe

Humans have been using sprouts for a very long time. With the increasing awareness of its health benefits, sprouts are being included in various types of food recipes, salads, soups, sandwiches, rice, etc. You might have heard of sprouted grain bread, which is claimed to be nutritious. It is also touted to be having numerous health benefits. While, you can purchase this bread from stores, it can also be made at home. Read on for some easy sprouted grain bread recipe.

What is Sprouted Grain Bread?

Bread is one of the oldest foods, as far as human history is concerned. Now, we have various types of breads, like, white bread, brown bread, wholemeal bread, wholegerm bread, granary bread, etc. One of the latest entrants in this group is the sprouted grain bread, that is made of sprouted grains. While, some types of sprouted grain bread are made by adding sprouted grains to the bread flour, flourless sprouted grain bread are also available. In the latter case, bread is made of ground sprouted grains. Such bread is said to be rich in vitamins, minerals and natural plant enzymes. Sprouted grain bread is also easily digestible. Apart from that, this bread has a sweeter taste, as the process of sprouting causes the transformation of some starches to sugars. Preservatives are also not used in this type of bread and so, this bread is mostly available in frozen state. The following are some of the easy and vegan sprouted grain bread recipes.

Flourless Sprouted Grain Bread Recipe

In order to prepare a single loaf of flourless sprouted grain bread, you need 3 ¼ cups of wheat berries, 1 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons of water (warm), 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup (can be replaced with agave syrup. Follow the below said guidelines to prepare this bread, using these ingredients.

Sprouting the Wheat Berries
Soak the wheat berries for almost two days. Drain and sprout the wheat berries. Make sure to rinse them at least two times a day, but, stop the rinsing routine, once the sprouts become visible. It may take around two to three days for the sprouts to appear. Once they start sprouting, you can use them for making sprouted grain bread. If you cannot proceed with bread making, you have to refrigerate the sprouts, so as to arrest further growth.

Preparing the Dough
Once the sprouts are ready, spread them on paper towels, so that excess moisture gets absorbed. Now grind the sprouts in a food processor in two batches. Grind each batch for a few minutes, so that the sprouts get broken and form a ball. Meanwhile, you take a small bowl and mix the yeast with the warm water. Let the yeast get activated and it will take around five to ten minutes. Now, take a large flat bowl and place the ground sprouts in it. Add the maple or agave syrup, salt and the activated yeast and mix well. You have to knead the mixture for at least ten minutes, till the dough gets firm and sticky. You should not add flour, even if the dough seems to be more moist than regular bread dough. Apply a coat of olive oil over the dough and cover it with a plastic bag, before leaving it for rising. It will take around 1 ½ to 2 hours for the dough to rise.

Making Sprouted Grain Bread
Before starting with baking, press the dough, so as to let out the air bubbles trapped inside. Keep the dough covered for another ninety minutes and after the stipulated time, press it once again to release the air bubbles. Place the dough in a loaf pan, which is slightly coated with oil. Use a damp towel to cover the pan and let it sit for 45 minutes. After that, bake the dough for 45 minutes in an oven, which is preheated to 350° F. When the bread is cool, refrigerate it in a zip-lock bag.

Now, you know how to prepare flourless sprouted grain bread recipe. Even gluten free sprouted grain bread recipes can be used for those with gluten intolerance. So, try this recipe and enjoy the tasty and nutritious treat.