The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Sprouting for Ezekiel Bread

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

Sprouting for Ezekiel Bread

Hi everyone,

I have begun making my own Ezekiel bread and it is fantastic. I have gone the way of the sprouting intrigues... sprouting my own lentils, ww berries, and barley and to my delight, my coffee grinder grinds it all just right once they've been dried in a 200 degree oven.

The risen product is very pleasing. Ezekiel bread has been my favorite for years but the cost has gotten .... oooh boy. So, now I am heading to whole foods for bulk grain, storing it in the freezer, and having a blast!

If anyone would like the recipe I am using, let me know.

ML

 

dlt123's picture
dlt123

Maggie... I would like the recipe.  I've started sprouting my wheat berries and really like how my bread comes out.  In fact, I no longer mill my WW flour and use sprouted wheat exclusively since I feel my breads have been more tasty and healthier.

If you don't mind, please post the recipe here or go to my website and send it to me through my Contact page...

Thanks,
Dennis
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jimrich17's picture
jimrich17

Maggie

 

I would really like to have a copy of your recipe for the Ezekial Bread-

It looks fantastic

 

Thanks

 

Jim

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

I am happy to provide the recipe.  And of course I hope you have good results too.

First of all, I found already sprouted barley kernels at a health foods store and just purchased some to grind up at home.

I soaked a 1/2 pound each Red Wheat Berries, Wheat Berries and Millet for 12 hours.  The Lentils I did separately.  I ought to have dealt with the Millet separately as well, because it appears Millet takes longer to sprout.  Then I rinsed the grains really well, twice.  Drain well.  I set the kernels all in a bowl spread around the bowl sides and covered with a towel.  I checked them daily... in three days I was happy with the results. 

Then I spread them out on cookie sheets and placed them in a 200 degree oven for two hours, occasionally stirring and patting them to dry evenly.  Once really dried, I let them cool and finally gave them some good whirring in my Braun coffee grinder, all three sprouted grains together. Lentils separately. I ended up with a pint of 3-grain blend.  A half bag of lentils gave me one pint of lentil flour, for your info.

For the recipe I included a cup of starter made of unbleached white and rye flours.

OKAY.  the recipe:

In a large bowl, bring one cup of Starter to room temperature, stirring in a tablespoon of white flour.

Stir 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast in 1 cup warm water (110 degrees), with 1/2 teas. of sugar.  Let sit until frothy (I wait about 12 minutes).

Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine:

1/3 cup sprouted lentil flour

1/3 cup sprouted barley flour (about 1/2 cup kernels ground up)

1/3 cup the 3 sprouted grain blend of flour (mentioned above)

1/2 cup dark rye flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour   CORRECTION

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup unbleached white flour

 

Pour the proof into the Starter, add 1 Tablespoon Honey, and 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil.  Stir.

Stir in the Grain mixture until well combined.

Gradually add in 1 cup unbleached white flour; you will likely need more water at this point - I did until it all was the right texture to begin kneading.

I kneaded for 10 minutes.  I did flour the dough here and there when it stuck to my hands; though the dough was still slightly tacky when ready.

Then you know the drill.... oil in bowl...  I use a floured linen towel to cover...

I let it rise for 1 hour. Punched gently.  Turned it out onto table and let it rest.  Did just a bit of kneading and shaped into loaf.  Place in oiled 9x5 loaf pan, filling pan's length, sprinkled with wheatgerm and sesame seed.

Using my hand I wet the dough and sprinkled sesame seeds all over the top.  Placed in oven for 45 minutes to rise.  It rose wonderfully.

Take it out to preheat oven to 400.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until hollow.  I lower my oven to 375 mid-way.

 

WELL THAT'S IT.  THE REAL EZEKIEL YOU BUY HAS SOY FLOUR.  I TRIED THIS TOO, 1/4 CUP, BUT THE TEXTURE CHANGED A BIT. PERHAPS NEXT TIME I WILL ADD 2 TBL. OF SOY FLOUR; I THINK THAT MAY BE ALRIGHT.

Maggie

 

Wyatt's picture
Wyatt

I've made sprouted breads using no wheat gluten and no wheat flour and they rose beautifully however that depends on the wheat berries used. When I used Waltons Feed White wheat berries I had a really light loaf however when I used Hodgsons Mill berries it was very dense. I noticed that both these brands don't specify whether they are winter or spring wheat but my guess is that the Waltons Feed in Spring wheat whereas the hodgsons mill is winter wheat but of course that is just a guess. I'd really like to find out what the difference is as I don't like adding gluten. When I ran the Waltons Feed sprouts through my meat grinder it was very stringy, the Waltons mill wasn't stringy at all. When I added wheat gluten to the Waltons Feed it really didn't make the loaf any lighter. I'm still trying to figure out why these differences occured but I'm still researching it at present One possibility is sprout starch degredation from the grain staying too wet in the field.

I've never dried my sprouts and never had any issues with that. Also I soak the grain for about 12 hours but it rarely takes more than 6 hours to sprout after I drain it and sometimes its already sprouting before the soaking if done, when I let it sprout longer than 6 hours I've found I have to rinse the grain periodically or it tends to sour.

I've made a pretty good loaf using only wheat sprouts, a little sugar and a little sourdough starter.

I prefer using a Meat grinder using the fine grinding assessory to process the wet sprouts, it works very well.

jimrich17's picture
jimrich17

Maggie

 

Thanks for the recipe. I can't wait to get started on it

 

Jim

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

has a recipe for using sprouted grains.  In it you do not have to dry out the grains once sprouted.  SImply drain off the water and mix them in a blender wet.  Use them in the dough as they are. You can choose how ground up you want them to be.

He has 2 recipes available.  One using all sprouted grains.  I haven't done this one. One that uses partial sprouted grains.  I do this one all the time and it turns out great and is very easy to do.

 

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

Wow, this is really good news.  I think I will try this.  I am rather a novice to bread making and am amazed at all there is to learn.  It seems, also, that each time I bake - even the same recipe - it comes out differently. 

Oh well.  Hey thanks much Janet.  I'll check online for the book.

 

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

Amazon sells it. You can read about here too.  

When working with the dough I have found I have to watch the ferment times closely.  Because of all the extra enzymes in the sprouted grains   fermentation speeds up.

Once you have his book you might bake his Master Loaf first to get an understanding for his method.  Looks complicated and time consuming but it isn't once you get the hang of it.

Have fun.

Maggie Lou's picture
Maggie Lou

Sorry y'all...

I made an error on the amount of whole wheat flour.  I used 1/4 cup and posted that on the recipe; I also typed in the added 1 cup unbleached white under the main ingredients section in case anyone misses it.

 

Sorry.  Hope it did not mess up anyone's loaf.

ML

kazz_42's picture
kazz_42

Hi in your ezekial bread recipe i says you sprouted red wheat and wheat. Could you specify, also what type of lentils are you using. I have red lentils could i use those? Have you ever made this loaf without the vital wheat gluten, i would like to try and stay away from that.

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

If you dry sprouted (malted) grains over 150 F you will kill off the enzymes that covert starch and carbs to sugars that yeast can eat.  Over 150 F is non diastatic malt adn under 159F is diastaic malt.  I make both white and red rye malts after 60-96 hrs of sprouting rye berries and drying appropriately.

Antilope's picture
Antilope

Mary Moore's Ezekiel Bread

Mary Moore was a Canadian newspaper food editor who's column appeared in Canadian newspapers for 50 years, from 1928 through 1978. She was born in 1903 and died shortly after her cookbook, "The Mary Moore Cookbook", was printed in 1978. It's a rare book and used copies sell for $ 75 to $ 100.

Makes 3 loaves.

1/2 cup dry red lentils
1/2 cup dry pearl barley
1 teaspoon dill seeds (optional, but recommended)
2 cups warm water (first amount)
2 cups hot water
1/2 cup molasses or honey
1/2 cup boiling water
1 Tablespoon granular yeast
4 Tablespoons soy flour
4 Tablespoons millet meal
2 cups stone ground whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons oil
3 cups all-purpose flour (first amount)
1 cup warm water (second amount)
about 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (second amount)

Early in the morning soak the lentils, barley and dill seeds (if used)
in the 2 cups warm water 5-hours. Add the 2 cups hot water and simmer covered

until very tender -- about 1 1/2 hours. Cool to lukewarm.

Then start making your dough: Mix together the molasses or honey with
the boiling water to blend and when just above finger temperature sprinkle
yeast over top and let stand 20-minutes while you measure the remaining
ingredients.

Into a large bowl measure soy, millet, whole-wheat flour, salt, oil,
3 cups all-purpose flour and the cooked, cooled lentil and barley mixture.
Add the second 1 cup warm water and yeast liquid and beat hard for 5-minutes
or mix with your hands if desired.

Let rise covered until doubled -- about 1 1/4 hours.

Sprinkle your board with remaining 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and
turn this very wet dough out on it. Sprinkle some flour from board over top
and begin kneading it all in.

It took 125 kneadings for me (Mary Moore) to do this. It is sticky but you
must not add more flour. Just persist.

Shape into three loaves and put into three buttered 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch
loaf pans or two 12 3/4 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch pans and
let rise about 1 1/2 hours until about 3/4-inch above rims.

Bake at 350 degrees F about 35 minutes until crusty, hollow-sounding and golden.

If desired brush with melted butter while loaves are warm.

Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Source: Mary Moore cooking column Regina SK Leader-Post newspaper, Oct 18, 1976.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WElVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Vj4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1214%2C498284

THM_LC's picture
THM_LC

If you're still sharing the recipe for your lovely sprouted Ezekiel Bread, I would appreciate getting it from you. Thanks. From Linda Casados

AnnaZ's picture
AnnaZ

One recipe posted here called for sourdough starter.  Starter and I don't seem to have a rapport........I've tried it more than once and it just "gives me the finger" so I gave up.  Do I just add a little more yeast, or will what's in the recipe be sufficient?   So many of the recipes on this site are sourdough and I really don't know what to do to compensate for not having it.  If anyone can give me some pointers I'd love it!