Sprouted Bread Recipes

ESSENE BREAD

Steps:

• Beginning several days before you hope to be eating this bread, rinse the wheat berries in cool water, drain and submerge the berries with cool water in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or cloth, and allow the berries to soak at normal room temperature overnight or for about 12 hours. The berries will soak up a considerable amount of water. Drain the berries in a colander, cover the colander with a plate to prevent the berries from drying out, and set it in a place away from light and where the sun won't shine on it. Rinse the berries about 3 times a day, and they will soon begin to sprout. In a couple of days the sprouts will reach their optimum length of about l/4 inch. Growth depends on moisture and temperature so be patient.
• Grind in a food mill or in a food processor.
• After grinding, dump the mushed up grain onto a clean work surface. Squeeze and knead the grain for about 10 minutes, and then form up 2 small round, hearth-style loaves with your hands. Sprinkle an insulated cookie sheet with a little bran or cornmeal, and put the loaves on it.
• Preheating the oven is not necessary. Cover the loaves with cloches, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and bake for approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes more. Allow the breads to cool thoroughly on cooling racks for several hours, and then, because of the high moisture content, store in the refrigerator. For best results, slice this bread thinly, or break with hands

QUICK & EASY SPROUTED WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Place flours, yeast, sugar & salt in a large mixing bowl.
• Stir in milk, followed by oil and egg.
• Beat on high for 2 minutes.
• On low speed add 2-4 Tablespoons a/p or bread flour until dough forms a soft mass.
• Place dough on floured surface and knead 50 turns.
• Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
• Shape dough into a loaf and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pan.
• Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until it's 1 1/2 inches taller than the pan, about 35 minutes.
• Meantime, preheat oven to 375° F.
• Bake for 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, I cover the top of the loaf with a foil tent to prevent over-browning.
• Remove immediately from pan onto a cooling rack. Let it cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.

SPROUTED BREAD

Steps:

• Two to three days before baking, soak the wheat berries in a container of cold water for 12 to 24 hours at room temperature.
• Drain them, return them to the container, cover with plastic wrap, and leave on the kitchen counter. Wait 2 to 3 days until the grains begin to sprout, rinsing and draining them once or twice so they are always damp. As soon as little tails appear, the wheat berries have sprouted and are ready. You can store them in the fridge until you are ready to make the dough.
• In a food processor, work the sprouted wheat berries into a pulp. If the processor starts to generate heat, give it a break before continuing.
• Combine the water with the almond milk. (You want the liquid to be room temperature, so if the almond milk was refrigerated, use boiling water.).
• Using the dough hook of an electric mixer, combine the sprout pulp, ALL of the vital wheat gluten, salt, yeast, honey, and half of the liquid. Mix on slow speed for 1 minute to bring the ingredients together into a ball, adding additional water as needed. Continue mixing 2 to 3 minutes, occasionally scraping down the bowl. The dough should form a sticky ball.
• Mist a work surface with a spray of water. Place the dough on the surface and knead with wet hands for 1 to 2 minutes. Although the dough will be sticky on the surface, it should have the strength and feel of normal bread dough. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest on the work surface for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly oil a bowl.
• Resume kneading the dough for 1 minute with wet hands to strengthen it. The dough should have strength yet still feel soft, supple, and very tacky. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to the bowl, rolling to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes or until it is about 1 1/2 times its original size.
• Line a loaf pan with foil (not necessary, but makes for an easier cleanup!), and / or spray with nonstick spray. Form the dough into a loaf shape and place it in the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes or until it is about 1 1/2 times its original size.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. When you put the loaf in the oven, turn down the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the loaf, and then bake for another 30 minutes, until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when it is tapped.
• Let cool on a wire rack for at least one hour before slicing.