Sprouted-whole-wheat-bread
One of the reasons that I started using sprouted grains and sourdough was because of my daughter, Maci. She had terrible intestinal pain every time she ate. She had terrible gas and bloating and was pretty miserable. We had gone to doctors and they were not able to help. So I started to do research on my own and found a wealth of information. This is the result: Maci has been pain free for 3 years. No pain, gas, or bloating and, she is completely healed. One of the things that helped her tremendously was sprouted grains.
I have found that most people’s bodies struggle to digest grains. Yet these same bodies flourish with grains that have been sprouted. Sprouted grains are considered low glycemic, which is a wonderful benefit. The pancreas needs huge amounts of B vitamins to deal with stress. Once a grain has been sprouted most bodies recognize it as a vegetable rather than a starch which requires digestive enzymes not pancreatic enzymes. Therefore, eating sprouted grains does not stress the pancreas. In 2008, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) ruled that sprouted grains are more akin to vegetables than to whole grain
Phytic acid, which is a known mineral blocker, is present in the bran (the coating of nuts and seeds) of all grains and inhibits the absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc. This inhibitor can neutralize our own digestive enzymes, resulting in the digestive disorders experienced by many people that eat unsprouted grains. Yet, phytic acid is broken down in the sprouting process and also, complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down during sprouting.
In addition, the sprouting process produces changes to the composition of the grain in numerous ways that make it a more beneficial food. This process produces vitamin C and increases the content of vitamins B, B2, B5 and B6. Carotene, which is converted to vitamin A, increases dramatically – sometimes as much as eight-fold. Sprouting also inactivates aflatoxins, which are toxins produced by fungus and are potent carcinogens found in grains.
You can find sprouted bread in the freezer section at health food stores and many grocery stores. My favorites are Alvarado Sprouted Flax Bread and Alvarado Sourdough Sprouted Bread. You can even sprout your own grains as I do and make your own flour to use in preparing all kind of delicious things – but that is another article.
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough Bread
Sourdough bread, much like sprouted bread, creates the same process of transforming the grain through a different method. Both methods are equally beneficial and they are really the only bread that most people should eat.
When you use a sourdough starter to make bread it deactivates the inhibitors and increases the bio availability of nutrients. This is similar to what sprouting your grain does; only this is through starter cultures that are loaded with good bacteria and yeasts. Sourdough also imparts a delicious flavor like nothing else.
I also like that sourdough uses yeast that has all the benefits of years of developing lactobacilli and many other healthy organisms instead of commercial made yeast. It also makes a low glycemic bread healthy for all (sprouting does this as well).
Commercial yeast is a single kind of organism that raises the bread very quickly and transforms grain into something that’s even less good for you. Sourdough is two organisms: wild yeast and bacteria, in symbiosis. The yeast and bacteria transform the grain to make it healthier, easier to digest, and resistant to getting moldy or stale. I have seen many who had gluten problems do fine with long rise sourdough bread. The magic seems to occur when you let the rising time reach seven hours or longer. This is the amount of time it seems to take for the cultures to do their work.
This transforms the bread, allowing your body to digest it easily.
Sourdough bread is hands down my favorite cultured food to make. I love taking a warm loaf from the oven. You will love it, and so will your body.
Sourdoughh & sprouted breads
These Healthy Cookie Bars are chock-full of all kinds of good things. They are made with sprouted flour and six other healthy ingredients. I am always looking for things to pack in lunches and serve to people who come to my home. When you sprout grains and use the flour to make treats for your [...]
This is a special bread that I developed to have sourdough readily available. You can make up the batter and let it rise. Place it in the refrigerator overnight, a couple days, or even a few weeks. Then you can pull off a hunk whenever you need it. This sourdough bread is often well tolerated [...]
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Who doesn’t love graham crackers? Sprouted graham crackers are even better. I always have these on hand for my family. I also keep a container of these ground into cracker crumbs for a quick dessert. You can use these to make graham cracker pie crusts. Place these crackers in a food processor and pulse until [...]
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Jamie Quinn at http://essentialeating.com/ says; “Sprouted flour does not go rancid like all other flours do, and is more shelf stable? When whole grains are sprouted properly the germ cell is consumed by the endosperm and is no longer in a state that can become rancid. When grain is sprouted, and dried it becomes a [...]
I have had seasonal allergies since I was 12 or 13 years old. For months in the springtime I locked myself inside the house and turned to drugs and steroids that harmed my immune system. This seemed to be what everybody did and I did the same because I had nowhere else to look. After [...]
Hi Donna
Do you have any recommendations for buying sourdough bread online? I remember reading somewhere (I can’t remember whether it was on your site on another gaps/fermented foods site) that ideally the dough should be left to rise for at least 7 hours in order for the acids etc to be properly digested/fermented?
Thanks!
Ruth
Yes, seven hours is the optimal time for rising. I do not know about sourdough bread to purchase online. I will look into it.
Can I use sprouted flour I am finding at the store nowadays? Will I get the same digestibility ease? Thanks
Yes you can use sprouted flour and it works great.
Hi,
I see sprouted flour is available at my health food store. I also see recipes from the company website using their sprouted flour. Will I have the same digestibility as the sourdough? I assume ‘yes’ from my early learning here. Thanks.
Sourdough can be even more digestible if you use my refrigerated sourdough method that is shown on a video on my membership site. The longer it ferments in the fridge the more digestible it is. Even more so than sprouted flour. http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/destination-refrigerated-sourdough-bread/
TO MAKE BREAD FOR SPROUTED GRAIN DO YOU HAVE TO DRY THE SPROUTED GRAIN TO MAKE FLOUR OR YOU CAN WET GRIND IT AND MAKE THE DOUGH?
aLSO WILL IT DOUBLE THE GOODNESS IF IT IS bOTH SPROUTED AND SOURDOUGH?
vERY INTERESTING THAT SPROUTED GRAINS ARE DIGESTED AS VEGETABLES AND NOT AS STARCHES.
tHAT WILL BE OF GREAT HELP TO PEOPLE LIVING ON SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATE DIET.
You can use it wet sprouted grains to make sprouted bread and I am actually working on a recipe for that now.
You don’t use sprouted flour to make sourdough bread because then the sourdough culture has nothing to transform. Always use regular flour that is not sprouted to make sourdough bread.
Not having the starters in Greece, how is it Possible to make this at home.
I make Waterkefir and Milk kefir Regularly at home. Is it possible to do starters from those.
Thanks.
I might be but it is very difficult to know weather it will rise your bread or not. Milk kefir would be the best thing to try, but I am not sure of the results.
We made our own sourdough starter. There are many recipes around. Just requires flour and water and a few days of regular feeding to develop an active culture. I’ve also heard that the culture will shift over time anyway if you take it to a new geographical region. Maybe you can try your own. I’m making water Kefir too and having lots of fun.
So you don’t have to sprout sourdough bread right? That would be redundant?
Correct. Similar things are accomplished in both just a different way to go about it. When you make sourdough you need to use regular flour and not sprouted. It needs to convert it and in sprouted it is already down.
Just curious…..once you order a starter, will you then have one left over? Or is sourdough starter something that needs to be ordered every time?
It will last forever if you take care of it. by feeding it. I have had mine 7 years. http://www.culturedfoodlife.com/?s=how+to+care+for+your+sourdough+starter