GRINDING, SPROUTING, AND FERMENTING GRAINS

The part of the wheat, buckwheat, barley, or other grains that we consume is the seed. Flour is the grain seeds ground into a fine powder. White flour has had the germ of the seed removed before being ground up, and since most of the fiber, vitamins B and E, and minerals are in the germ, white flour doesn’t provide much nutrition. When you grind grains into flour yourself, you ensure that you’re getting all the nutritional benefits of the whole grain. Fresh flour also contains more nutrients than flour that’s been exposed to the air for a while. There are oils in flour that go rancid quickly, and as that happens, many of the nutrients are diminished.

A good grain mill will pay for itself before long, since un-ground whole organic grains are much cheaper than buying organic flours. You can purchase hand-operated grain mills or electric ones—or even hybrid mills—online, and they range in price from about $25 to over $1,000. Most are adjustable so that you can choose a really fine or a coarser grind. Hand-crank mills require a little more time and effort, but they won’t increase your electric bill and you’ll get a little arm workout in. Some mills can also be used to make nut butters or to grind coffee beans, but not all are that versatile. The more expensive mills tend to have stronger motors, have more versatility in the coarseness of the grain and in what you can grind (both dry and wet ingredients), have more attractive designs, and come with lengthy warranties. You can also grind grain in a Vitamix with a dry container or in other high-quality blenders. KitchenAid stand mixers have a grain mill attachment you can use for low-oil grains.

Purchase wheat berries (the whole grains) or whatever whole grain you choose in the bulk section of natural food stores or online. Grind only what you’ll be using right away. If you find you have a little extra, store it in the freezer for up to a few days. Any longer and the oils may start to go rancid and you’ll lose many of the nutrients.

Soaking grains helps to break down some of the components of grains that many people find difficult to digest, and also releases many valuable nutrients. Phytic acid is an antinutrient, which is something that works against the body’s ability to absorb certain vitamins or minerals. Phytic acid, which is found in many grains, inhibits absorption of zinc, iron, phosphorous and magnesium. Phytase is an enzyme that is also found in most grains and helps to break down the phytic acid. Soaking grains with something acidic activates this process. Although our stomachs are pretty good at soaking things in acid, these days many of our digestive systems are compromised to some degree and can use a little extra help.

You can soak whole grains or flour. Put the grain in a bowl, add enough warm water to cover the grain, and splash some vinegar, lemon juice, buttermilk, kefir, or yogurt into the bowl. If you’re the kind of person who likes to measure things, it’s 1 tablespoon of an acidic medium for every 1 cup of warm water. Stir, cover tightly, and let sit at room temperature. The length of time you should soak varies according to the grain. After soaking, you can dry the grains in a dehydrator or in your oven at a low temperature, or you can use them wet, adjusting your recipe to accommodate the extra liquid.

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To use soaked flour in a bread recipe, combine all the liquid in the recipe with the flour, except replace 2 tablespoons of the water with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or another acid, cover, and allow to soak before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

To make cookies with soaked flour, combine the flour with all the wet ingredients and soak in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Then add remaining ingredients, mix, and bake.

Sprouting grains is the process of germinating the grain seeds, which decreases the starch in the grain and increases the protein, fat, and vitamin B. You can sprout whole grains in large batches, dry them, and then grind them when you’re ready to bake. Only whole grains can be sprouted—not flour or even hulled grains.

To sprout wheat berries or other whole grains, rinse and drain them in a colander. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a couple inches of water, and allow to soak at room temperature overnight. Then drain and rinse them again. Dump the grains into a mason jar and cover it with cheesecloth secured with a rubber band. Once a day, pour water into the jar, swirl it around, and drain it out. Leave the jar at an angle out of direct sunlight and facing downward into a dish or the sink so it can continue to drain. Within 1 to 5 days you should see the grains begin to sprout. You can let the sprouts continue to grow up to ¼ inch. Then rinse, drain, and refrigerate the sprouted grains, or dry them in a dehydrator or in the oven at a low temperature. Once the grains are dry, you can grind them into flour.