Sprouted Ezekiel Bread

 Ok, so here is where it all begins....

(Note:  This bread is Highly Beneficial to all blood types...O, A, B, AB

Drive to your local health food store, Winding Way Farms, Downtown Farm Stand or Indy to Whole Foods.  :-)  The Carmel store has an AWESOME bulk section.

Buy the following.....(I bought more and I am storing the grains in my glass quart canning jars (wide mouth)  thank you again MK for that idea! (see below) :-) for later use).

Sprouted Ezekiel Bread
2 1/2 cups hard red wheat berries
1 1/2 cups spelt
1/2 cup barley (hulled)
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup lentils (green preferred) (omit if you are Type O or B)
2 Tbsp great northern beans
2 Tbsp pinto beans
2 Tbsp red kidney beans (substitute adzuki beans if you are Type O, A and AB)

(Note:  I was confused at first because Type O, B and A are not to eat wheat....but the first ingredient in Ezekiel bread is 2.5 cups of hard red wheat berries.  But what happens is that when the grains/seeds are sprouted the gluten lectins (principally found in the seed coats) are destroyed by the sprouting process.  Ezekiel and Essene breads are live foods with many beneficial enzymes intact.)

In the evening, combine all the ingredients above in their dry state.  I used a big batter bowl.  Then pour the mixed grains into 4 glass quart wide mouth canning jars and covered the grains with reverse osmosis water.  Make sure you use pure, clean water here.  Cut a piece of cheesecloth and place over the top of the jar and use the ring to keep the cheesecloth in place.  Let jars sit over night with the water soaking the grains.  

In the morning, drain the water off of the grains, fill again with clean water shake the jars and pour off water (use a turning motion of the jars so that the grains are all getting rinsed as you pour off the water.)  Shake the jars to get the excess water out.  Place all 4 quart jars in a tub or some sort of a container due to the water continuing to drain off of the grains.  See picture below. 

Note:  Sprouting time may take 3-4 days. 

At different times today, rinse the water 2-3 times before going to bed.  Each time shake and turn the jar to make sure all the grains are getting wet.  The grains cannot sprout without moisture.

You are going to do this for the next 2-3 days.  Keep watching, you will see sprouts sooner than you think!

When you start to see the beans sprout, it is time to make bread!!

(Note:  DO NOT refill the jars with water and let them soak in the water.  You are letting them sit upside down at an angle with NO added water in the jars for the next 2-3 days.  Sitting them at an angle allows for air flow which will allow for the sprouting process.  I just left mine sit out on the counter top.)

The goal is for the sprouts on the grains to be the length of the grain, the beans will just start to show sprouts.  Do not rinse before you grind, you don't want the grains too wet.

Note:  After 2 days of sprouting, hard red wheat berries become very sweet.

Make sure you save your cheesecloth squares for next time.  I used wowgreen dish soap and hand washed them and layed them out to dry, until next use.

So, now for mushing time. (Note:  If you store your yeast in the refrigerator get it out and bring it to room temperature now.)   I am just using my food processor with my S blade.  I added half to 3/4 of the grains from 1 jar in my food processor and began processing. 

You will want to stop and scrape down the sides after 30 seconds.  The little sprouts fly off and stick to the side of the food processor, so you want to make sure they are getting mixed up with the grains.  You will notice a "live" smell from the grains (sort of reminds me of in the summer when the farmers cut and bail hay, that smell).  You want to process the grains in the food processor for about 3 minutes, the grains will actually resemble a ham salad texture.  The dough will form into a ball in the food processor, keep you eyes on it now..... then the dough will break apart.  You want to stop processing then (do not over process).  Place the dough into your kitchenaid mixer bowl, if that is what you are going to use to knead the dough or some large bowl. 

If you have a grain mill you can use it here, but I have read it is good to oil your blades first.  And always make sure to clean, dry and store your blades to your mill in an area that is not damp, otherwise your blades will rust. 

Ok, there are soooo many different opinions, ideas and options on what to do next, but I am just going to blog for now on what I am doing.  Then I will give later ideas.

I am going to make 2 loaves.  1 Regular Ezekiel and the second Cinnamon Raisin.

So, I place the dough I just processed into my large kitchenaid mixer bowl and added the following.....

1/2 cup honey (I use organic raw)

1/3 cup organic canola oil (can probably use vegetable here, but if you have vegetable oil try to make the switch to organic canola)

2 Tsp salt

2 Tbsp yeast (room temperature, never use cold)
Ground organic barley (flour)***

Start Kitchenaid mixer on Speed 2...if the dough is too dry add warm water by a tablespoon at a time until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl.  Shot off mixer and scrape down the sides as you go.  Knead for 10 minutes, stopping at 5 minutes and allowing your mixer to cool down for a few minutes.

Place a drizzle of about 2-3 lines of evoo in the bottom of your bread pan you are going to bake the bread in.  Now take half of the dough out of your mixer and place it in the oiled bread pan, smooth the top of the dough.  

Now add the following to the remaining dough in the mixer...

1 cup organic raisins

1 Tablespoon organic cinnamon

Knead just until the raisins and cinnamon are incorporated in the dough.

Now, oil a second bread.loaf pan with evoo.  Place the remaining dough in this pan, smooth the top.

Preheat your oven at the 400 degree setting for 1 minute.  Turn oven off and place both loaf pans in the oven.  Let them rise for 1 hour or until the dough is 1/2 inch from the top of the bread pan. 

Remove from oven, preheat oven to 300 and let the loaves bake for 1.5 to 2 hours.  (If you have time try 250 for 3-4 hours, the lower and slower the bread bakes preserves the freshness of the sprouted grains.)

Some have suggested to wait a day or 2 before serving as the flavor intensifies.  We will store ours in the refrigerator as I have a nasty mold allergy.  :-)

I will keep you posted as I enter this new adventure!!!!  Happy sprouting and baking!!!!  We will be eating bread that is sooooooooo full of nutrition, I can't wait!!

I will also being attempting my hand at Essene (Bread).  I will post more later.

Remember bread baking is an art not a science.  If this does not turn out the first time, try again!

***Ok, so I made this and the bread turned out waaaaaaay too dense and moist.  So, I started buying Ezekiel bread for Meijer.  While I was reading the ingredients, I noticed that they use barley flour...so that is the missing puzzle piece...you have to add the barley flour to dry up the "dough" before baking.

I will post more as I try this with the barley flour.  :-)