How to Make Wheat More Nutritious

Baking Bread

(This information comes from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It is an EXCELLENT book)

Wheat (the way it is normally prepared these days) is really hard on your digestion. Some people say, “You have to get used to it.” No!! You will not get used to it. You have to prepare it properly. Especially in an emergency situation, where you are eating lots of wheat, PLEASE make sure you are preparing it properly (it is easy, but just takes a little more advanced planning.) People that are wheat intolerant can sometimes eat wheat that is sprouted or soaked.

Wheat used to be prepared by soaking in buttermilk or using a sourdough starter. These methods were probably used to soften the wheat. The flour was more coarse then. Soaking overnight (and the long sourdough method) softened the grain. Unknown to our ancestors, it not only softened the grain, but soaking in an acid medium such as buttermilk or vinegar (or using a sourdough starter) freed the vitamins and minerals that were bound up in the bran of the wheat.

Those old ways of preparing grain have mostly been abandoned. Most of us don’t know about the old ways or why they worked better. Our grain grinders are amazing and grind the wheat up very fine so we may not see the need to soak our grains. But unfortunately, the way we prepare wheat now days does not free the vitamins and minerals that are in the wheat. We make quick breads and use fast rise yeast that does not allow enough time for the vitamins and minerals to “unbind” from the bran.

In order to digest wheat, your body needs (for example) Calcium, zinc, and vitamin B (etc). God prepared the wheat to include these nutrients. But when the grains are not properly prepared, those nutrients are not available to your body to use in digestion. So, to digest the grain, your body goes on a search and pulls the calcium and vitamin B from minerals already in your body. Eventually, this can strip your body of minerals.

Wheat contains Phytates and Enzyme inhibitors. These are important because they keep the wheat from sprouting too soon and discourage bugs (most bugs get sick eating wheat). But, phytates are not good for bugs OR people. Wheat contains lots of vitamins and minerals, but they are not available unless you get rid of the phytates and enzyme inhibitors.

Don’t worry!!!! It is easy to fix these problems, but it does take a little advanced planning.

Sue Gregg is a great resource on how to prepare your grains. She has great recipe books a few recipes on line that you can start with. Here are a few things she had to say:

Maximizing the Nutritional Value of Whole Grains

Just because you’ve switched from white flour to whole grains does not mean that you are getting all the nutritional value. In fact you may also experience new problems with digestion. That is because whole grains contain phytic acid in the bran of the grain. Phytic acid combines with key minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc and prevents their absorption in the intestinal tract. Soaking, fermenting, or sprouting the grain before cooking or baking will neutralize the phytic acid, releasing these nutrients for absorption. This process allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to not only neutralize the phytic acid, but also to break down complex starches, irritating tannins and difficult-to-digest proteins including gluten. For many, this may lessen their sensitivity or allergic reactions to particular grains. Everyone will benefit, nevertheless, from the release of nutrients and greater ease of digestion.
The first stage of preparation in making whole grain porridges or baked recipes, is to soak the whole grain flour in an acid medium (buttermilk, yogurt, or other cultured milk, or in water with whey, lemon juice or vinegar added—1 tablespoon per cup water). As little as 7 hours soaking will neutralize a large portion of the phytic acid in grains. Twelve to 24 hours is even better with 24 hours yielding the best results. (Sue Gregg)

Whole Wheat Rolls or Bread

(I always use White Wheat because that is what I like best!)

2 1/2 Cups warm water

6 cups Whole Wheat Flour 3 TBSP. vinegar
1/2 cup warm water

1/2 Cup honey

1/2 Cup dry powdered milk

2 TBS yeast
2 eggs
1/2 cup potato flakes

2 1/2 tsp. salt 

1/2 Cup oil

1/3 Cup vital gluten

2 TB dough enhancer (optional)
1-2 cups of white flour (or sprouted wheat flour)
This is to add if the dough is too sticky 



Combine warm water, whole wheat flour and vinegar (I put it in my Bosch bowl). Cover it and leave in on the counter for at least 7 hours or overnight. In the morning, add the yeast to the 1/2 cup warm water and let it set for 5 minutes. Now add the yeast and water mixture along with the rest of the ingredients to your flour, water, and vinegar mixture. You can add white flour, wheat flour or sprouted wheat flour it is too sticky. It should be tacky but not sticky (meaning it will stick to your fingers but not come off on your fingers). It is better for the dough to be a little too wet than too dry. Knead for 6-10 minutes or until gluten is developed or dough is soft and pliable. Grease baking sheets. Pinch off 2-inch round portions or shape into bread. Place in rows on baking sheets, cover, and let rise until double. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. (Cook bread for 35 - 40 minutes). Brush with melted butter if desired, and remove to a cooling rack. Makes 2-3 dozen or a two loaves of bread.

No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread (makes one loaf of bread)

3 cups (430 grams) whole wheat flour, plus 1/4-1/2 cup more for dusting (you can also do 1 cup of white and 2 cups of wheat flour)

¼ teaspoon (1 gram) instant yeast (or 1/4 plus 1/16 teaspoon active dry yeast*)

1¼ teaspoons (8 grams) salt

1 1/2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

1 3/4 cup Flour
2 TBS. Vinegar
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, instant yeast, salt and vital wheat gluten. Add water and vinegar and stir until blended. Keep adding water until the dough is shaggy and sticky, like a stiff muffin batter. It should not be so wet that it’s pourable. You will probably use all of the water, but different brands of flour are more absorbent. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Liberally flour a work surface and place dough on it. Fold your dough into itself once or twice. Clean out your bowl and spray with non stick spray. Sprinkle lots of corn meal all over the bowl. Put the dough back into the bowl, sprinkle with and cover with a cotton towel or saran wrap. Let it rise for 2 hours.

At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees and put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. (I have used almost any pan and covered it the bread loosely with aluminum foil. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Dump the dough into your pan as carefully as possible.It may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack. Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Sprouting Grain for Bread Making

According to research undertaken at the University of Minnesota, sprouting increases the total nutrient density of wheat berries. Here is an example of what happens to the wheat berry once it sprouts. It’s absolutely amazing!

Vitamin B1 (thiamin) increase of 28%
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) increase of 315%
Vitamin B3 (niacin) increase of 66%
Vitamin B5 (pantathenic) increase of 65%
Biotin increase of 111%
Folic acid increase of 278%
Vitamin C increase of 300%

I like to sprout lots of wheat at one time and dehydrate it. Then I can grind up whatever I need a little at a time. You can keep the sprouted dried wheat in the freezer. Sprouting and drying the wheat makes it taste more mild than regular wheat and the grain is softer so it also tastes more like white bread (soaking in vinegar without sprouting it does the same thing--see recipe above).

This is how I sprout a large amount of wheat. I get two large bowls and fill them a little over half full of wheat. (Probably about 8-9 cups per bowl). I fill the bowls with water and let them sit overnight. Then I put the soaked wheat in colanders and rinse the wheat well. I put the colanders on a plate and cover them with a towel. In the AZ summer, it only takes a day for the wheat to sprout. I usually wait until the little tail is about 1/2 as long as the wheat or even until it is just starting to poke through. You can rinse the wheat in the colanders about 2 times a day or I just shake the wheat to have the moist bottom wheat come up to the top.

After it is sprouted, I put lots in my dehydrator. I put it about 3/4 inch thick on each sheet or however much I can fit on there. It doesn’t need to be in a single layer. You can use it like regular wheat flour.

Interesting tips for bread making:

Cool RISE: A cool rise, also known as a refrigerator rise, is when yeasted dough, whether shaped or unshaped, is placed in the refrigerator to rise slowly. The cold slows the yeast's activity, allowing for more flavor and an interesting texture to develop.

When bakers use a sourdough or sponge starter culture, where the yeast is allowed to ferment over a long period of time or chill a dough and slow down its rise, the cold dramatically reduces yeast activity. The bacteria, on the other hand, function well even in cold temperatures, so they now have an opportunity to thrive, producing many more marvelously flavorful acids. However, there are a number of chemicals naturally present in dough that promote the breakdown of gluten. This is one of the reasons you cannot hold the dough infinitely long in a fermentation to improve its flavor.

A long rise improves the bread's texture and flavor from its long, slow fermentation. In cookbooks, it is said that all yeasted dough can be refrigerated, but I have found that it doesn't work well all the time. In my opinion, starter or high sugar dough works the best.

A cool rise can be done when you don't have the time to finish the bread recipe or if you are interrupted.

Dough can be kept to rise for three days in the refrigerator, however it is best to use it within 24 hours. So it won't "over-proof" and spill over its container or collapse, it is necessary to punch the dough down once every 18 - 24 hours after it has been placed in the refrigerator. If it still over-proofs, it will look like it's fallen - with flat, wrinkled tops. There is a way to fix the dough; see solution.
There are two ways to do it:

Place dough in the coldest part of the refrigerator, which is the middle and towards the back.

1. Sometimes I make bread dough in the evening, place it in the refrigerator and let it rise overnight. Take it out when it has almost doubled in bulk and let dough warm slightly at room temperature, where it will complete its rise albeit slowly until the dough has warmed to room temperature. Check for doneness after the dough doubles in bulk: gently stick two fingers in the risen dough up to the first knuckle and take them out. If the indentations remain, the dough is ready to be punched down and shaped. Let the bread go through its second rise and bake it; or,

2. The other way is to shape the bread after its first rise and punch down. Let the second rise take place in the refrigerator overnight.

QUESTION: I want to make cinnamon rolls and bake them in the morning. Is it possible?
ANSWER: Yes. Shape the rolls, place in the baking pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap -- make sure you grease the side that will touch the bread. Then place them in the coldest part of your fridge overnight. In the morning, take them out of the refrigerator and keep them covered while the oven preheats. If they need to rise a little more, let them do so before baking. Remove the plastic wrap and bake!!


Slashing: The scoring of some breads before baking is done for a couple of reasons. First, for a beautiful visual appearance and second, this scoring allows the dough to expand quickly during baking so it reaches its maximum volume. It also prevents a "blow out" from happening if bubbles appear under the crust and then burst. S

For brown and serve rolls: Bake rolls as usual, but do not let them brown; they will be slightly tacky on top. Take out of pan let cool completely on a rack. Wrap in foil or plastic wrap and then place in an airtight bag. They will keep up to 7 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. They can be baked right from the fridge, until golden brown. If frozen, let thaw covered at room temperature and then bake.
When a loaf is first placed in the oven to bake, it goes through a quick rise what is known as "oven spring". It is caused by the yeast becoming more active when first subjected to the oven's hot temperatures creating a burst of carbon dioxide that is responsible for the bread's rise. You want your oven to be up to temperature before you put your bread in.

The most common reason for dense breads is the addition of too much flour. You must learn to work with a slacker (wetter) dough. It's also the moisture content in the dough that turns to steam in the oven that helps to give it the oven rise, creating an open, light and airy texture and crumb.

The amount of flour (water) used in a bread recipe is always variable; that's because flour absorbs different amounts of water depending on where and when it was grown, its protein content and lastly, the weather. I have found that most baker's have trouble knowing how much flour or water to add or not add in advance? You don't because it's hard to predict. (Only the flour knows for sure!).

Learning how to mix the dough so you get its "right consistency" is the most important aspect of bread baking that can mean success or failure. For example, the objective in mixing MODERATELY STIFF DOUGH is to end up with dough that is tacky, not sticky or wet. It should also be pliable, soft and moist. By sticky, dough will stick to your finger as you pull it from the dough and some may stick to your finger. If that happens, the dough is too wet. By tacky, I mean when you touch the dough, it feels like the glue on the back of a "Post-it-Note" - your finger will stick to the dough when you pull it away, but it will come off easily and not take dough with it. When the dough is kneaded, it should remain the "right consistency". Sometimes additional flour is added to correct the dough; even though you may have mixed it correctly, as you knead it and incorporate more of the flour, and the flour hydrates more from the water or liquid in the recipe.

Canning Beans

Canning Beans

1. Rinse beans well in a colander.
2. Put a cup of beans in each quart jar.
3. Fill with water.
4. Soak overnight
5. Pour out the water and refill up to 1 inch below the neck of the jar
6. Add 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
7. Boil your lids for 3 minutes
8. Put lids and rings on and put them into your pressure canner (it must be a pressure canner).
9. Follow your canner’s instructions (they are all a little different).
10. Process for 90 min. at 10 -11 pound of pressure. (don’t start the timer until you have let the steam escape for 10 minutes and THEN put the weight on. When it gets to 10 pounds, start the timer for 90 minutes)

Crispy Cinnamon Garbanzo Beans

1 cup dried garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons raw (or regular granulated) sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1. Soak the beans overnight in cool water. Drain and pat them dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, toss the beans with the vegetable oil and sugar. Spread them in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Roast them in the oven until crunchy and no longer soft in the centers, about 45 minutes. (Stir them a few times to prevent burning.) Immediately toss the beans in a bowl with the cinnamon and salt. Cool and serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up

Crunchy Garbanzo Beans

(You can use lots of different flavorings. I used chili powder and Garlic salt on mine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 (15-ounce) cans Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Rinse the beans in a colander, drain and dry well with a paper towel.

Add the oil, salt and pepper to the beans and toss evenly to coat.

Spread beans in an even layer on the baking sheet, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until crunchy, stirring and shaking the pan midway through baking.

Sprinkle the rosemary evenly over the beans, and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until beans are crunchy. Some will be slightly soft in the center.Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the beans to a serving bowl.

Sprinkle the cheese over the beans, and stir to evenly distribute the cheese.

Pinto Bean Fudge

2/3 cup Canned milk (or light cream)

1 1/2 cups Mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups Strained pinto beans

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 2/3 cups Sugar

1/2 cup Nuts

1 1/2 cups Chocolate chips

Combine sugar and milk in kettle. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients and stir until marshmallows melt. Pour into buttered pan; (I would line with waxed paper for easier clean-up) cool and cut into squares.

Idaho's Pinto Bean Pie

• 1 heaping cup mashed pinto beans (Note: 1 1/2 cups cooked beans equals about 1 cup, mashed)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Blend sugars, eggs, and butter until creamy. Add the mashed beans and blend thoroughly.

Pour into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the pie comes out clean.

These pies taste a lot like pecan pie. Serve them with whipped cream, with your favorite non-dairy whipped topping, or--better yet--with a scoop of ice cream.

Pinto Bean Bread Recipe (Recipe Zaar)

• 2 cups lukewarm milk
• 2 packages yeast
• 2 cups pinto beans, mashed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons shortening, melted
• 5-6 cups flour

Combine the milk, beans, sugar, salt, shortening, and 1 tablespoon of the flour.

Stir in the yeast and wait for it to bubble.

If it has not bubbled in 5 minutes, get new yeast.

Stir in 5-6 cups flour, to make a kneadable dough.

Knead 5-10 minutes, until satiny.

Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease dough.

Cover loosely with a clean damp cloth and let rise till double

Punch down; let rise again.

Punch down; shape into 2 loaves.

Place in greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until thumps hollow on bottom.

Crock Pot Bean Dip Recipe (Recipezaar.com)

• 1 (15 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 cup picante sauce (your choice)
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• tortilla chips
• salsa

In a bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients; transfer to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until heated through, stirring once or twice. Serve with chips and salsa.

Smokey Black Bean Hummus (Recipezaar.com)

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Dump everything in a food processor and whiz until smooth.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving with raw veggies, crackers, pita chips, and other favorite dippers.

Pinto Bean Cake

"Here's a cake to surprise the crowd!":

1 cup white sugar 1/4 cup butter 1 egg 2 cups cooked pinto beans, mashed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda		1 cup golden raisins 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 cup chopped pecans 2 cups diced apple without peel
1	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
2	Cream butter or margarine and sugar together. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Stir in the mashed cooked beans and the vanilla.
3	Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground allspice together. Add the chopped pecans, golden raisins, and the diced apples to the flour mixture. Stir to coat. Pour flour mixture into the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4	Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Dribble with a simple confectioner's sugar icing and garnish with candied cherries and pecan halves, if desired.
Chicken and Corn Chili

	Rated: "Use a slow cooker to make this chili with chicken, pinto beans, and corn, flavored with salsa, cumin, and chili powder.
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder		salt to taste ground black pepper to taste 1 (11 ounce) can Mexican-style corn 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans

DIRECTIONS:

1	Place chicken and salsa in the slow cooker the night before you want to eat this chili. Season with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 6 to 8 hours on Low setting.
2	About 3 to 4 hours before you want to eat, shred the chicken with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot, and continue cooking.
3	Stir the corn and the pinto beans into the slow cooker. Simmer until ready to serve.

Taco Soup Allrecipes.com
2 pounds lean ground beef 1 onion, chopped 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained 1 (15 ounce) can lima beans, drained	1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix 1 1/2 cups water 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy, drained 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

1	In a large Dutch oven, brown the beef and chopped onion over medium heat. Drain off any fat.
2	Add chilies, salt and pepper, beans, water, seasoning mixes, hominy, and stewed tomatoes to the beef and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3	Top with shredded cheese, and serve with chips.