Sprouted Rye and Spelt Bread

I was in an experimental mood this past weekend so I sprouted some rye berries to make sprouted rye bread.

It’s been a while since I’ve made sprouted bread. It is one of my favorite types of bread so every once in a while I just have to make it.

 

This Sprouted Rye and Spelt Bread is made with sprouted rye berries, rye flour and all-purpose Spelt flour.

In most of my other sprouted breads, I’ve used white bread flour so I decided to try a different combination.  I’m trying to incorporate more ancient grains in my bread baking so this was a good experiment.

The process for making this sprouted rye bread is really easy. I started sprouting the rye berries Friday night and by Monday afternoon they were ready to be used in the bread.

The sprouted rye berries and the Spelt flour performed really well in this bread.  I really like this flavor/texture combination.  The bread has a delicious taste and a nutty texture from the crunchy rye berries and the spelt flour.

 

Sprouted Rye and Spelt Bread

Adapted from The Pleasure of Whole-Grain Breads by Beth Hensperger

Makes: 2 large loaves

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 packages) active dry yeast
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of ginger
• 2 cups whole rye flour
• 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sprouted rye berries, chopped
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose Spelt flour
• Spelt bran, for sprinkling, optional
• Melted butter, for brushing

 

Directions:

Step 1: Sprouting the Rye Berries

Duration: 2 to 3 days

Makes: 2 cups

1/2 cup rye berries

Place the rye berries in a bowl and add tepid water to cover by 1 inch.  Let stand at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours. 

 

Drain the rye berries and rinse with fresh water. Place the berries in a 1-quart jar. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.  Place the jar on its side in a warm, dark place.  Twice a day, rinse and drain the rye berries with tepid water poured through the cheesecloth. 

Tip: When you place the quart jars in a cool, dark place such as your cabinet, put them in a container so that the excess water drains into the container instead of your cabinet.

After 2 to 3 days, the rye berries will sprout. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 3 days. Grind in a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Do not over process; the berries should be chunky.

 

Step 2: Making the Bread

Pour 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl.  Sprinkle the yeast, sugar, and ginger over the water. Stir to dissolve and let it stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the rye flour, milk powder, and salt.  Add the warm water, honey, and 4 tablespoons butter. Mix or beat for 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and beat 1 minute longer.  Add all the rye berries and the Spelt flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl forms, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand.

 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and spongy, 1 to 2 minutes for a machine mixed dough and 3 to 4 minutes for a hand-mixed dough, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time, just enough as needed to prevent sticking. Place in a lightly greased deep container, turn once to coat the top with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. 

 

Let it rise at room temperature until double in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

 

Grease two 9” x 5” loaf pans and sprinkle the bottom and sides with wheat germ or you can use the bran and germ sifted from whole grain Spelt.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into 2 equal portions. 

 

Pat each portion into a rectangle and roll into a loaf shape.  Place, seam side down, into the prepared pans.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until level with the rims of the pans, about 1 hour.

 

About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until crusty and golden. 

 

Remove the loaves from the pans to cool on a rack. Brush the tops with melted butter. 

 

Let the loaves cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing and serving.  Enjoy!

 

My favorite way to enjoy this bread is warm with butter, but you can also make a sandwich with it.  Might I suggest a PB&J or a grilled cheese sandwich?  Yum!

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Sprouted KAMUT Bread with no Flour

A couple of months ago, a visitor commented on my Sprouted Wheat Bread with no Flour post and asked if I had experimented with making a sprouted bread completely with KAMUT.

KAMUT is a heritage grain and a descendent of Emmer wheat. The kernel of this wheat is larger than modern wheat and it has a rich, buttery flavor.

Well you know me, I’m always up for a challenge especially when it involves sprouted bread so I decided to give it a try.

I started this experiment several weeks ago, but the KAMUT berries sprouted before I had time to use them and they ended up sprouting too much to use in bread. I ate them in salad instead.

I had some time over the Thanksgiving Holiday so I tried this experiment again and this time it worked.

 

Sprouted KAMUT Bread with no Flour

Makes: 1 Loaf

Adapted from: The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book by Laurel Robertson with Carol Flinders & Bronwen Godfrey

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (1 1/4 lb or 575 g) KAMUT berries
• 1 teaspoon (1/8 oz or 3.5 g) instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) warm water
• 2 teaspoons (11 g) salt
• 3 scant tablespoons (40 ml) honey

 

Method:

Step 1: Sprout the KAMUT berries

Rinse the grains and cover with room temperature water.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the grains soak for 12 to 18 hours.

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Tip: The trick to sprouting wheat berries is to sprout them just enough so that the sprout is barely peeking out. If you only let it sprout a little bit, then you can make lighter yeast bread. If you let them sprout too long before you grind it, then it makes a dense loaf.

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Sunday morning. I started this process mid morning on Sunday and rinsed them the first time early Monday morning before work.  It ended up being about 20 hours.

 

After 18 hours, drain the berries, then rinse with fresh water, and place the bowl in a dark place with a damp cloth over it.  Rinse the grains every 12 hours for 2 days or until the sprout is just beginning to appear on the grain.

Monday evening. The berries were a little soft but not quite ready so I rinsed them again and placed them in a colander over a bowl to drain overnight. I covered them with a kitchen towel.

Tuesday afternoon. I removed the grains from the colander and placed them on a kitchen towel to dry.  The sprouts were just barely starting to peek out. I covered them with another towel. I’ve tried this with paper towels but the grains stick to the paper so using a kitchen towel works better.

 

Tuesday evening. I placed the sprouted grains in a plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator until I was ready to bake the next evening. You can keep them in the refrigerator for a day or two, but they will keep growing so don’t wait too long or you’ll end up with gummy bread.

 

Step 2: Process the Dough

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Note: A good food processor works really well for this part. If you’re using a standard food processor, divide all of the ingredients in third and process the mixture in batches using the metal blade (not the dough blade).  Knead the three dough balls together before the rising and baking.

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Take the berries out of the refrigerator. Add the sprouted berries and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor and process the mixture until the ground wheat forms a ball. This will take about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then process again for another couple of minutes. Stop processing before the ball falls apart.

 

I processed the sprouts until they formed a dough but left some of the pieces to add texture.  Then I kneaded it on the counter for a few minutes.

 

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation

Place the dough ball in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour and a half. I placed it in my proofing box at 70 degrees F. to proof.

 

Check the dough by gently poking the center about 1/2-inch deep with your finger.  If your finger leaves an indentation and the dough doesn’t fill back in, it is ready for the next step. 

 

Take the dough out of the bowl and press it into a smooth round, then place it back in the bowl to rise again for 1 1/2 hours.  If your dough is cold (which it probably will be since you started with cold wheat berries), then the first rise may take awhile. Check the dough again by pressing it with your finger.  If an indentation remains, the dough is ready to be shaped.

 

Step 4: Shape the Loaf

Place the dough onto a lightly greased surface and knead it into a round using wet hands.

 

Gently flatten it into a rough round on a lightly oiled surface.

 

Shape the dough into a loaf by folding the bottom third up to the middle, then fold the top down toward the middle like an envelope.

 

Step 5: Proof the Loaf

Turn the loaf seam-side down and roll it back and forth until you get a uniform shape.  Place the loaf seam-side down in a greased 8” x 4” loaf pan.

 

Let the loaf rise in a draft-free place until it returns a gently made fingerprint.  This could take another hour or two.  I placed the loaf in the proofer at 70 degrees again.

 

Step 6: Bake the Loaf

Bake the loaf for about an hour at 350 degrees F.  If your bread rises a lot, the baking time won’t be as long.  My bread didn’t rise that much so I baked it the full hour to make sure it wasn’t gummy in the center.

Step 7: Cool the Loaf

Remove the loaf to a wire rack to cool.

 

Step 8: Slice and Enjoy!

This bread is a little dense, but it has lots of chew and flavor. I sliced it thin and ate it with butter and cheese.  You can really taste the wheat flavor. I happen to enjoy that. The texture on the inside is not gummy at all. 

 

I rushed the final proofing a little bit because it was getting late so I think this bread could be made a little bit lighter if you give it more time to rise. I also think it could be processed a little more in the food processor.  I was trying not to over process it, but it may have been a little under processed.  I will try this bread again sometime, but I ran out of KAMUT berries.

 

You might also enjoy Sprouted KAMUT Bread with bread flour.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

Sprouted Einkorn Bread with no flour

A few weeks ago, a visitor to my blog commented on the sprouted wheat bread with no flour post. She wanted to know if I had experimented with and had any success with sprouted bread lately.  Well, now that you mention it, it has been awhile since I’ve made bread using only sprouted wheat. So you know what that means… it’s time to experiment again. For this experiment, I used the ancient grain Einkorn rather than hard red spring wheat.  

I really enjoy making sprouted wheat bread. The sprouting process is fun and it provides a host of nutritious benefits. Sprouting the grain produces vitamin C and increases the vitamin B and Carotene content, and neutralizes phytic acid, which is a substance that inhibits the absorption of calcium and a number of other minerals. Complex sugars are also broken down and enzymes which aid in digestion are produced during the germination. All good things in my book.

 

I’ve made this Sprouted Einkorn Bread with no flour two times so far. The first time, I let the grains soak for about 12 hours, then rinsed and drained them and let them sprout overnight at room temperature. The next morning, I rinsed and drained them again and put them in the refrigerator for a day before I baked the bread. In this heat, that turned out to be a bit too long to let the sprouts grow, particularly since they continue to grow a bit in the refrigerator. I also used the wrong size loaf pan for the first attempt. I used a 9” x 5” loaf pan, but should’ve used the smaller 8” x 4” size.

Here is a photo of the first attempt.  I took photos of the sprouting process for the first bread, but somehow I lost them. I do have photos of the 2nd attempt. This bread was a bit dense, but had great flavor.  It tasted good with Spicy Peach Butter and with cheese. 

 

The key to success with this bread is to only let the grains sprout until the tiny sprouts are just barely beginning to show.  So for the second attempt, I only let the grains soak about 16 hours.  The sprouts were just barely peeking out.  After the 16 hours, I drained the grains thoroughly and put them in the refrigerator overnight.  I started the process of making the loaf the next day. 

This is the process I used for the 2nd loaf.

 

Sprouted Einkorn Bread

Makes: One Loaf

Adapted from The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole Grain Breakmaking by Laurel Robertson.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (575 g) Einkorn berries (makes about 6 cups sprouted)
• 1 teaspoon (3.5 g) active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) warm water
• 2 teaspoons (11 g) salt
• 3 scant tablespoons (40 ml) honey

 

Directions:

Step 1: Sprouting the Einkorn Berries

Tip: Only sprout the berries until the sprout is just beginning to show and the berry is tender.  In hot weather, it doesn’t take very long.

Begin by rinsing the grains and covering them with tepid water.  Let them soak for about 12 to 18 hours at room temperature.

 

Here are the Einkorn grains after soaking for 16 hours.  The sprout is just barely peeking out.

 

This is a close up of the tiny sprouts.  Aren’t they cute!  The grain is soft and pliable at this point. Place the sprouted grains in the refrigerator until they are cool.  You can leave them in there a day or two, but keep in mind that the sprouts will continue to grow in the refrigerator so don’t leave them in there too long or you’ll end up with a sticky and dense bread that doesn’t bake through all the way.

 

Step 2: Mixing the dough

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.  Then add the sprouts, the dissolved yeast, honey and salt and process in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, not the dough blade. You can do this part in 2 or 3 batches, depending on the size/power of your food processor.  I just got a more powerful food processor so it was able to handle the whole batch at one time.

 

Process until the sprouted grains form a ball.  This will take about a minute.  Then scrape down the sides of the bowl, and process two minutes more.  If you’re doing this in several batches, divide the ingredients by thirds and process each batch, then knead the dough balls together.

 

Step 3: Bulk Fermentation

Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl.  Cover and place it in a warm draft-free place.  Let the dough proof for about an hour and a half.

 

Gently poke the center of the dough with a wet finger.  If the hole doesn’t fill in, then the dough is ready.  If is does fill in, let it proof a little while longer.

Note: At this point, I ran out of time so I placed the dough in the refrigerator overnight.

 

Next Day:

I took the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours to warm up to room temperature. 

Continue Step 3: Bulk Fermentation:

Press the dough flat and form it again into a smooth ball.  Place the dough ball in a greased bowl and allow it to rise again.  This second rise shouldn’t take as long as the first rise since the dough will be warmer.

 

Step 4: Shaping the Dough:

Using water to prevent your hands from sticking, gently spread out the dough into a rough rectangle.

 

Shape the dough into a smooth loaf and place in a greased 8” x 4” loaf pan.  This time I used the appropriate size loaf pan.

 

Step 5: Proofing the Dough

Let it rise about 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place (such as your oven with the light turned off). 

 

Step 6: Baking the Loaf

Bake the loaf for about an hour at 350 degrees F.  If your bread rises really well, it may not take that long.  It didn’t take mine quite an hour to bake through.

 

Step 7: Cooling the Loaf

Remove the loaf from the oven to a wire rack and let it cool completely before slicing.

 

Step 8: Slice and Enjoy!

This bread rose better than the first attempt, but I think it would’ve risen better if I hadn’t put the dough in the refrigerator overnight. It was dense, but not as dense as the first one.  It had a great flavor.  I gave this one to my taste tester to enjoy.

 

I hope you’ll try this bread and let me know how it works out for you.  I plan to try it again sometime without placing the dough in the refrigerator overnight to see the difference.  It should rise a little bit better. 

Happy Baking!

Cathy

 

Sprouted Spelt Bread

The HBinFive Baking Group made sandwich breads this month. Sprouted Wheat Bread is one of my favorite sandwich breads so I decided to continue my experiment with different types of sprouted grains and come up with a new sprouted grain sandwich bread. I used my favorite sprouted bread recipe, but substituted spelt grains for the whole wheat grains and spelt flour for the whole wheat and bread flours. The finished bread is very tasty.

I milled spelt grains into flour and sifted part of the flour twice to remove a good bit of the bran.  I substituted the sifted spelt flour for the bread flour and the unsifted spelt flour for the whole wheat flour called for in the original recipe.

In the photo below, the sifted flour is shown in the top left.  The whole grain flour is in the bottom right and the sifted bran is shown in the bottom left.

 

Sprouted Spelt Bread Recipe

Adapted from The Pleasure of Whole-Grain Breads by Beth Hensperger

Makes: 3 Medium Loaves or 1 Pullman Loaf and 1 Small Loaf*

*The original recipe makes three medium loaves. I decided to make one loaf in my Pullman pan and one loaf in my small loaf pan.  I used about 2/3 of the dough for the Pullman loaf and the rest for the smaller loaf.

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 packages) active dry yeast
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of ginger
• 2 cups (260 g) whole spelt flour
• 1 cup (85 g) nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) warm water
• 1/4 cup (3 oz) honey
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Sprouted spelt berries, chopped (see method below)
• 4 cups (540 g) spelt flour (sifted once to remove the bran and germ)
• Wheat germ, for sprinkling (optional)
• Melted butter, for brushing (optional)

 

Directions:

Step 1: Sprouting the Spelt Berries

Duration: 2 to 3 days

Makes: ~2 cups

1/2 cup raw spelt berries

Place the spelt berries in a bowl and add tepid water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.

 

Drain the spelt berries and rinse with fresh water. Place in a 1-quart jar. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band. Place the jar on its side in a warm, dark place. Twice a day, rinse and drain the berries with tepid water poured through the cheesecloth.

 

How long should you sprout the berries? Sprout the berries just until the tiny sprout is barely beginning to show and the grain itself is tender – this could take anywhere from 18 hours to 36 hours, depending on the temperature in your house. If the grain sprouts develop long enough for diastatic enzymes to get started, it will make the bread very gooey and it won't bake through. 

 

Additional posts and helpful information on sprouted bread:

• How to make sprouted bread
• Sprouted Bread with sprouted wheat & bread flour
• Sprouted Wheat Bread with sprouts and no flour - Take Two
• Sprouted Wheat Bread with sprouts and no flour - Take One
• Sprouted Einkorn Bread with no flour
• Sprouted Einkorn Bread with flour

 

What if you’re not ready to use the sprouts just yet? Refrigerate the sprouts in a plastic bag for up to 3 days. 

I sprouted the spelt berries for a couple of days, then refrigerated them for a few days until I was ready to bake the bread. Just remember, they will continue to germinate while in the refrigerator.

 

When you’re ready to bake the bread, grind the berries in a food processor or blender. Be careful not to over process; the berries should be chunky.

 

Step 2: Making the Bread

Pour 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast, sugar, and ginger over the water. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

 

In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of your mixer, combine the whole spelt flour, milk powder, and salt.

 

Add the warm water, honey, and 4 tablespoons butter. Mix by hand or beat in the mixer for 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and beat 1 minute longer. Add all the spelt berries and the spelt bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and spongy, 1 to 2 minutes for a machine mixed dough and 3 to 4 minutes for a hand-mixed dough, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time, just enough as needed to prevent sticking.

 

Place dough in a lightly greased deep container, turn once to coat the top with oil, and cover with plastic wrap.

 

Let rise at room temperature until double in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

 

Grease a Pullman pan and an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and sprinkle the bottom and sides with wheat germ.

Divide the dough into two pieces.  Use about 2/3 of the dough for the Pullman loaf and the rest for the smaller loaf or divide it into three pieces to make three medium loaves. Shape the dough into balls, cover them with plastic and let them rest on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes.

 

Shape the large dough ball into a cylinder shape.

 

Place the cylinder in the Pullman Pan and cover it with the lid.

 

Flatten the smaller dough ball on the counter and pat it into a rectangle.  Then, roll it up jellyroll style into a loaf shape. Press the seam closed with your fingers and place, seam side down, into the prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until level with the rims of the pan, about 1 hour.

 

About 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and position a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the loaves for 45 to 50 minutes, or until crusty and golden. Remove the loaf from the pans to cool on a rack and brush the top with melted butter (if desired).

 

Let the loaves cool, then slice and enjoy. I like this bread, it has a great flavor.  It makes a great grilled cheese sandwich and tastes yummy spread with jam.

 

 

Thanks for joining me in the bread-baking blog. 

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy