When I first read through Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, I saw the section devoted to soaking flours and grains. It would seem that most of the world understands that many grains and flours should be soaked before being used and eaten. To most people, that would be too much faffing around. You want to bake bread or make pancakes and it has to be done in a snappy amount of time. What I learned about soaking flour and grains has turned our diet around and made me realize that not everything has to be done at break-neck speed.
Grains: I started soaking whole wheat berries and lentils about a year ago. I bought some sprouting lids from my health food store but I have also used a metal canning ring and a piece of muslin cloth. Sprouting is super easy and improves the nutrition and digestibility of the grain by a number that I cannot remember but, trust me, it's good! I put one cup of grain, lentils or beans into a quart size mason jar and then fill it with spring water. (A quick side note here: I don't use our tap water for anything other than washing due to the levels of fluoride and chlorine). I put the sprouting lid on the jar and leave it for 24 hours.
After the first 24 hour soaking period, I drain the water from the jar and invert it into the sink dish drainer. Now I will simply rinse the beans/grain/lentils two to three times each day for up to three days. By day 2 you will start to see little sprouts coming out of your chosen grain. These will continue to grow. I have left my sprouts to really grow for up to a week but anything over a a couple of days is fine.
Once I am happy with the length of the sprouts, I steam the sprouted grains, allow them to cool and then store them in the fridge. I add sprouted grains/lentils/beans to pretty much anything. They are great with rice, in soups and stews and even cold on salads.
Now soaked flour is slightly different. I have seen recipes where folks use their sprouted wheat berries in their bread recipe and they grind the with a meat grinder. I tried this just once and found my bread to be very heavy.
I recently found this soaking recipe by The Elliott Homestead: http://theelliotthomestead.com/soaked-whole-wheat-bread. Not only is it a great recipe but it produces fantastic bread. I had to tweak the amount of gluten that I add. I actually had to double the amount called for in the recipe. Other than that, I follow her recipe to the letter and usually make one or two batches each week. I get three very lovely loaves from each batch. One lesson I have learned, is that the bread must be at the correct temperature inside for it to be cooked. I use a probe thermometer to check the bread at the 30 minute mark. I am looking for at least 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Your bread may look cooked on the outside but the middle can still be soft a gooey.
I try to soak flour whenever I'm baking something. I always have keifer or buttermilk in my fridge so that acid medium is never an issue. I just have to be organized enough to know what I am going to be making during the week. Obviously, there are times when I want to mix up a batch of matza to go with dinner and I haven't soaked my flour. I don't stress about this, I just make the matza and try and think ahead a little more the next time.
I also soak my oats in milk overnight in the fridge if I am making oatmeal for breakfast. I find that the oatmeal cooks a lot more quickly and is softer and creamier. I did try soaking it in keifer but the taste was a little too strong even for me, let alone Chicken Man. If I make pancakes, I soak the flour in the correct amount of milk in the fridge overnight. Organization and pre-planning is key.
We live in a society that wants everything to be "now" and "fast" but in our house, things take time. Good food takes time and personally, I love that.
Frugally Sustainable Blog Hop #66
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