Sprouted Wheat Berry Bread Food

WHEAT BERRY BREAD

Steps:

• Place the wheat berries in a strainer, rinse well under running water, and drain.
• Bring 1 1/2 cups tap water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the berries.
• Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the berries are soft and the water is absorbed, about 1 hour.
• After the berries have cooked for 20 minutes, stir together the yeast, 1/2 cup of the warm water, and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour in a large bowl.
• Let rise for about 40 minutes.
• Stir the remaining 1 cup warm water, the oil, molasses, honey, salt, and whole-wheat flour into the yeast mixture.
• Add the flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
• When the mixture becomes too stiff to stir, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead.
• Flatten the dough and press in the cooked wheat berries.
• Knead in the remaining 1/3 cup all-purpose flour until the dough is elastic and springs back when lightly pressed, about 6 minutes.
• Form the dough into a ball, place it in an oiled bowl, and turn the dough in the bowl to coat it well with oil.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough does not spring back when lightly pressed, about 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, press it flat, fold both the sides in and roll the dough into a log.
• Pinch the seam closed and set it into an oiled 10 x 4 x 3-inch loaf pan.
• Push the dough down flat.
• Place the pan in a plastic bag and tuck the bag opening under the pan to close.
• Let rise until the dough domes up and does not spring back when lightly pressed, about 1 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Remove the pan from the plastic bag.
• Using a sharp serrated knife, cut 3 diagonal slashes across the top of the loaf.
• Place the bread in the oven, spritz the inside of the oven a few times with water from a plant mister, and quickly close the door.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.
• To test for done-ness, remove the bread from the pan and rap the bottom.
• It should sound hollow.
• If it is not quite done, continue baking out of the pan up to 10 minutes more.
• Cool on a wire rack.

SPROUTED WHEAT BERRY BREAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add the remaining water, salt, honey and oil. Mix well.
• Stir in white flour and beat dough by hand or with a dough hook in an electric mixer until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Stir in the wheat berry sprouts and just enough whole wheat flour to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead, with more flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease to of dough; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 minutes.
• Grease 2 9x5-inch loaf pans. Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead briefly.
• Divide in 2, shape into loaves and place in pans. Cover and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Bake loaves 25 minutes. Lower oven heat to 300*F. and bake 35 more minutes, or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when turned out and tapped. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

HOW TO SPROUT WHEAT BERRIES

Steps:

• Plaace 1/4 cup wheat berries in a quart canning jar(or similar regular jar) and fill with lukewarm water.
• Place a double thickness of cheesecloth over the mouth and secure with jar ring or rubber band.
• Drain water through the cheesecloth, fill again, and let soak for 2 hours.
• Drain, rinse again and drain.
• Place jar on it's side in a dark place.
• Rinse and drain twice a day for 2-4 days, or until 2 cups of sprouts are formed. Place the sprouts in a colander, rinse with cold water, drain and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

HONEY WHEAT BERRY BREAD

Steps:

• **To cook wheat berries**.
• Combine 1/2 cup rinsed wheat berries and 2 cups water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered for about 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, adding water if necessary. ( Cook until soft and some are popping open)
• Drain any standing water before adding the cooked wheat berries to the dough.
• Add drained wheat berries and 1 cup of cold water in the bread machine pan, Cool to lukewarm.
• Add the rest of the liquid ingredients followed by the dry ingredients on top, yeast will be last.
• Set bread machine to dough setting. Check in a few minutes, if dough looks too dry or too wet add a few tablespoons of warm water or flour to get a good soft dough consistency.
• When dough setting is complete (my machine is 1 ½ hours) remove dough from bread machine pan onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a roll. Put in a bread pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil spray. Let rise for about 40 minutes to 1 hour or until about 1 ½ inches above pan.
• Cook on 350 degrees on middle rack of oven for about 30 to 35 minutes. Should be golden brown ( when thumped with your finger on the bottom of the loaf it should sound hollow )
• Remove bread from pan to cooling rack to cool. Let it cool at least 1 hour 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.

CROCK POT SPROUTED GRAIN BREAD

Steps:

• Plan 3 days in advance. Soak wheat berries for 8 hours or overnight. Then rinse and drain them 3 times a day for the next 32 hours or until they've sprouted 1/4 inch tails. Don't rinse after they are finished sprouting.
• Pulse sprouts in food processor until the dough forms a ball on the blade.
• Shape into a ball. You may sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Place dough in small pyrex-type bowl that will fit in your crockpot.
• Cover and turn on crockpot to low. Cook approx 8 hours or until a rich, dark brown.
• Stays fresh in refrigerator for about 1 week.