Are you familiar with sprouted bread? I didn’t know it existed until I got into raw food.
What is sprouted bread?
Sprouted bread is sometimes called Ezekiel bread, and it’s made of – you guessed it – sprouts. Simply put, grains and/or pulses are sprouted and then ground before baking or dehydrating (for the raw version). The oldest version had people mixing their sprouts to form a loaf that would dry in the sun (try doing that here in the UK!)
With sprouted bread, you’re getting the fabulous health benefits of sprouts with less gluten than you normally would get with ‘standard’ bread. This is because some of the gluten (but not all) is released during the sprouting process.
Also, any starches in germinated sprouts have been broken down by enzymes which makes them easier for us to digest. This is why eating sprouted bread can leave you feeling much lighter than you would feel if you ate ‘standard’ slices of bread.
What can be sprouted for bread? Well, usually spelt and wheat grains, but also millet, barley and even lentils or beans. Seeds can be added such as flax or sunflower. And of course you can add nuts, dried fruits and spices if you wish.
How do you make it?
Want a recipe for sprouted bread? Well, OK – but there’s only one ingredient. Sprouts!
You sprout your grains or seeds (see Raw Foundations for how to do that), grind them finely or blend them (not so easy to do), form a loaf and dehydrate it.
Now you know why I usually buy some from my local health food store if I’m in the mood for bread!
Where can I buy some?
My favorite kind in the UK is Everfresh’s Organic Sprouted Spelt Bread. In the US, it’s more difficult to find online so you’re better off going to your local health food store and seeing what they’ve got.
You could also try Raw Organic Lydia’s Sunflower Seed Bread which comes as crackers but can be rehydrated to have a softer texture. I haven’t tried it, but I know people who have and they like it so it may be worth a go:)
Over to you now – try some sprouted bread, and let me know what you think in the comments!
