May 16, 2017 - 11:06am
Difference between soaked seeds, soaked toasted seeds and toasted seeds
Hi there
just a quick question
sometimes i see people soaking their seeds overnight (particularly flax/linseed and i understand thats a digestive issue) other times people toast the seeds before putting in soaker and other times they toast on the day of their bake, let them cool down and toss them into the mix - what is the difference?
Is it a hydration issue? A taste issue or none/all/more of these things
oh and one other ting: what is the maximum amount of soaker in a bread peple advise as ive seen it going up to 30+%
thanks
Moray
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is any seed used on the outside of a loaf can be raw as it will roast with the loaf during the bake. Seeds on the inside taste better when roasted or toasted first and then tossed into the dough, they will soften with the steam in the loaf during the bake. Seeds that remain hard, even after a bake, should be soaked or maybe soaked and cooked first before including into the dough.
If raw seeds for the outside of the loaf seem too dry (always munch on a few) then soak and drain before using so they don't burn up in the oven heat.
Drain soakers and taste any liquid before using as dough liquid. Some seeds soak up water, creating a gel only to give it back to the dough during the bake. Like flax, oats flakes, chia, to name a few. This gives several advantages to dough shaping. A high hydration dough can be achieved without adding too much water to the flour itself making the dough more easily managed. The water in the seeds is released during baking adding more steam inside the loaf.
Some of these soaker upper seeds are easier tossed into the flour and extra water given to the dough. They tend to incorporate better without slip-sliding all over the bowl. Time is then allowed for the seeds to hydrate fully before kneading.
thanks for that -so many conflicting views - i did read that all seeds should be soaked to:
1. soften them up to make them more digestible and easier to chew
2. Allow them to soak up moisture thereby limiting their ability to dry out dough
3. reduction of phytates
i used to simply toast sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and toss them in while soaking linseed/flax seeds overnight.
Last night i toasted seeds and then put them into cold soaker along with oat and barley flakes.
This morning theyre softer, still have a bite and are mellower in flavour. I will carry on and see. And of course i will put seeds on top and let them toast in oven.
The other thing i made sure was the soaker was 1:1 with tepid water and 4:1 with flax to water ratio.
I also read that seeds can go off sitting in hot water for a number of hours which makes sense....
Apparently this procedure is common in many countries throughout Europe.