How to Make Sprouted Wheat Bread in a Bread Machine

Sprouted wheat bread can keep you satisfied longer.

If you want to serve your family more nutritious meals, adding freshly made, sprouted wheat bread straight from your bread machine is a healthy starting point. Sprouted grains retain more of their nutrients than processed grains. Some of the nutrients found in sprouted-grain bread include fiber, vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The complex carbohydrates in a piece of sprouted wheat bread also help to keep blood-sugar levels steady for a longer time and keep you feeling satisfied longer.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup wheat berries
• 1 quart glass jar
• 8-inch square piece of gauze
• 1 large rubber band
• Bread machine
• 1 cup sprouted wheat berries
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups white bread flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. dough enhancer
• 2 1/2 tsp. yeast

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup of wheat berries in a quart-sized glass jar. Cover the wheat berries with room-temperature water. Secure the gauze over the top of the jar with a large rubber band. Put the jar with the berries in a dark place, and let them soak for approximately four hours.

2. Hold the jar of berries over the sink and turn the jar upside down, so that the water will drain. Turn the jar onto its side to distribute the berries evenly along the side facing down.

3. Cover the berries with water again as in Step 1, drain them over the sink after two minutes and redistribute them as in Step 2. Repeat this procedure about every six hours. Check the berries after 24 hours. They should now have tiny sprouts.

4. Eat one or two of the sprouts to make sure they're ready for the bread. They should be tender and crisp, not hard or mushy.

5. Place the sprouts in a food processor and use the "Pulse" setting until they are coarsely ground. Fill 1 cup with sprouts and then add water to the cup until it reaches the top. Measure another ½ cup of water into the bread machine's fully assembled pan.

6. Measure the rest of the ingredients into the machine following the manufacturer's guidelines. Choose the appropriate cycle to cook the bread and start the machine.

Tips & Warnings

• A kitchen cupboard works well for keeping the sprouts out of the light while they germinate.

• Don't let the sprouts germinate so long that they start turning green.

References

• Bread Making Machines Now: Bread Machine -- Sprouted Bread Recipe

Resources

• Natural Therapy Pages: Benefits of Sprouted Grains
• Bread Machine Digest: Dough Enhancers: And How to Use Them