Bread: 3 Sprouted Grain

Yesterday I wrote about my first couple of attempts at sprouting grain and the troubles I had.  Well I squarely won round 3.  In fact I mixed 3 types of grain to sprout together and added them to some bread.

I used Millet, Buckwheat and Red Winter Wheat.

Sprouted grain, Buckwheat, Red Winter Wheat and Millet

We add millet a lot to our bread and pizza dough.  It adds a nice crunch and boosts nutrition.  Millet is not actually a grain but a seed. it packs a lot of nutrition and fiber.  It is very high in Magnesium.
Buckwheat is also not a grain but is a seed from a plant in the Rubarb family.  I grew up eating buckwheat pancakes, which are delicious.  Buckwheat is high in antioxidants.  The seeds have a interesting triangular shape.
Red Winter Wheat is a type of wheat that is planted in fall and harvested the following spring/summer. 

When sprouted each of these "grains" get an additional boost in their nutrition including higher vitamin C, E, Folate, and fiber.  They are also high in antioxidants.  During the sprouting process there is also a decrease in some of the enzymes that make whole grains hard for our bodies to digest.  Basically the process of sprouting converts the parts of the seed to simpler compounds that the young plant can use to grow.

Spouting in a Bag

Sprouting in a Bag  

After my failure with the Jar, I remembered these Norpro Jelly Strainer Bags I used early in the year to strain my hot pepper mash for Hot Sauce.  These are cotton bags with a draw string.
 

1. I placed a 1/4 of a cup of each of the three grains into the bag.   
2. Rinse the grains well
3. Place bag in a bowl of water covering enough to allow for some expansion
4. 8-12 hours later, rinse, and re-rinse till water is clear and no longer cloudy
5. Spin/swing bag around in sink to draw off moisture.
6. Every 8-12 hours re-rinse and drain 

Our 2 year old loved eating the sprouts right out of the bag.

 Sprouts being to Emerge

Sprouts will start to come out after about 2 days, I suggest you taste the sprouts each time you rinse to gain an idea of how the taste changes.    The wheat grows sweater the longer you let it grow.  The buckwheat is really good, it is also a bit sweet and the texture reminds me a bit like small corn kernels.  The millet stays somewhat crunchy which is good for texture.  Most people will use the grain when it is just barely emerged or when it has a tail(root) about the length of the seed.  I let mine go to a midpoint between theses two lengths.  

3 Sprouted Grain Bread

Adding Sprouts to Bread

I used these sprouts in a 50/50 white/wheat bread recipe.  The loaf took a little longer to cook rather than the 45 minutes it will take 50-65 minutes depending on how much  moisture is on the sprouts when you add them in.  The bread was very moist and the sprouted grain added a really nice texture and flavor to the bread.  This was only a 3 sprouted grain bread, next I think I will go for a 6 grain bread.