How to Bake With Wheat Berries
Whole grains of wheat, or wheat berries, are readily available at health food stores and specialty retailers. They are more nutritious than wheat flour, because they retain the wheat bran and germ, which are high in vitamins and minerals. Wheat berries are also high in fiber. Wheat berries may be added to many baked goods to provide extra texture and nutritive value. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Wheat berries
- Large bowl
- Colander
- Paper towel
- Baking sheet
- Blender, food processor or spice grinder
- Home flour mill (optional)
- Fine mesh sifter
Instructions
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Pour the wheat berries into a large bowl, ensuring that there is enough room for the berries to double in size. Cover the berries to a depth of one inch with cold water, and soak them overnight. Add more water, if necessary. Alternatively, pour boiling water over the wheat berries and soak them for one hour.
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Drain the berries in a colander for 20 minutes. Fold several layers of paper towel to make a pad, and use the pad to line a baking sheet. Pour the drained wheat berries onto the sheet and spread them in a single layer to dry, turning them occasionally.
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Grind the wheat berries in a blender, food processor or spice grinder. Use them coarsely ground in yeast breads and rolls, where they will absorb extra moisture from the dough. Use them at a medium grind for muffins and biscuits, where there is less baking time for the grains to soften. Use them finely ground in multi-grain cookies or flat breads.
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Grind whole, dry un-soaked wheat berries to produce your own whole wheat flour for general-purpose use. A spice grinder or blender may be used for small quantities, or use a home flour mill for larger quantities. Use a fine mesh sifter to remove large particles from the flour, before use.
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Tips & Warnings
The same technique may be used with whole berries of rye, kamut, spelt, farro, emmer and other grains.
Brush your loaves of multi-grain bread with water and roll them in ground wheat berries before baking. The berries make an attractive and crunchy garnish.
Wheat berries may also be sprouted, for use in bread making. Place the soaked berries in a jar and rinse them with lukewarm water each day. After two to three days the sprouts should be as long as the berries themselves. Drain, dry and grind the berries as instructed in your favorite recipe.
References
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