A few weeks ago, I posted on social mediathat I was trying a new soaked bread recipe. Quite a few of you commented or emailed asking for the recipe, but I wanted to get it just right first before sharing. Making traditionally prepared bread (as opposed to modern, difficult to digest yeasted breads) can be a bit tricky to master. No one wants to waste quality ingredients not to mention precious time on failed attempts!
To make a long story short, it took me a little trial and errorto get the recipe to work, but the results are awesome. You can even slice the loaf for sandwiches! I thought I’d share for those of you who enjoy usingsoaked flour to bake traditionally prepared bread for your family.
Please note that I have only used einkorn flour to make this loaf so if you want to try making it with another type of flour, it may take you a couple of tries to get it exactly right. My friend Cathi who shared this recipe with me uses spelt flour. Based on our joint experience, it should work the very first try with either einkorn or spelt. Other flours may take a bit of trial and error on your part.
What is Einkorn?
Never heard of einkorn? It is thepurest and most ancient form of wheat available. It is completely nonhybridized (my kids affectionately refer to it as “Jesus wheat”) as it only has 2 sets of chromosomes unlike all other types of wheat which are hybridized and have between 4 (emmer, kamut, durum) and 6 (spelt, modern wheat) chromosomal sets. Moreoever, einkorn contains good gluten. It is different structurally from modern gluten and quite easy to digest even for many who have sensitivity to modern gluten. The truth is that not all wheat gluten is created equal!
The only downside to einkorn is that it is a low yield crop and hence rather pricey compared with hybridized wheat. However, if you don’t eat a ton of bread in your home anyway and really want to opt for the most digestible wheat flour available when you do bake, einkorn simply can’t be beat.
One other point of note: you must used raw kefir for this soaked bread recipe. The dough does not rise well if you soak using raw yogurt, clabbered raw milk or buttermilk. It also does not work well with plain store bought kefir.
The reason? I don’t actually know for sure, but my guess is that raw kefir has many more strains of beneficial microbes compared with other fermented dairy products – up to as many as 30. In addition, raw kefir would have all the original enzymes from the raw milk intact. Pasteurized kefir would not have the same level of enzymatic activity as raw kefir. In addition, clabbered raw milk, buttermilk and raw yogurt would have far fewer probiotic strains than raw kefir.
How to Make Soaked Bread
Onward to the soaked bread recipe! I do hope you enjoy it – please let me know the various ways you end up trying it, with gluten free flours and whatnot!
Easy soaked bread recipe that can be sliced and used for sandwiches as well.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 loaves
Author Sarah Pope
Ingredients
- 6cupsflourfreshly ground and organic, einkorn or spelt recommended
- 3cupsraw kefirplain, preferably grassfed
- 2Tblbutterpreferably grassfed and organic
- 1.5Tblsucanat
- 1.5tspbaking soda
Instructions
Mix 3 cups of flour and 3 cups of kefir well, cover with a clean cloth and let sit on the kitchen counter for 12-24 hours. After soaking, the dough should be liquid-y and very bubbly.
Add baking soda, sweetener, coconut oil or butter and 3 more cups of flour. Stick to 6 cups of flour and don't add more even if tempted to do so based on consistency of the dough.
Mix well for 3-4 minutes. The resulting dough should be soft and easily workable with your hands.
Divide loaf into 2 ... put in 2 buttered loaf pans (these are what I use) or make 1 huge loaf with a single large loaf pan.
Let the pan(s) sit lightly covered with a clean cloth for another 12 hours on the kitchen counter. The dough will rise nicely in the pan(s) so allow for enough room at the top or it will spill over the sides.
Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 30 minutes for 2 smaller loaves and 350 F (177 C) for 55 minutes for 1 large loaf of soaked bread. Check that a knife inserted in the center comes out clean to ensure that the loaves are done.
Once cooled, slice into sandwich slices. Enjoy immediately and refrigerate what will not be used up within 24 hours.
Recipe Notes
Coconut sugar may be substituted for the sucanat. Do not use honey as cooking honey is not healthy.
Coconut oil may be substituted for the butter.
Do not use yogurt, clabbered milk or water plus lemon juice to soak the flour as the bread will not rise properly. Only raw kefir works based on my experience making this recipe.
Once you’ve made your loaf, be sure to save the crusts! You can make homemade breadcrumbs with them!
FAQs
Fermenting bread without yeast is a traditional method of making bread rise using natural fermentation instead of commercial yeast. This process involves capturing wild yeast and bacteria from the environment to create a sourdough starter, which is then used to leaven the bread dough.
What happens if you make bread without yeast? ›
If you don't use yeast or other leavening in your bread dough, the bread will be dense and will not rise. As others have said, there may well be a subtle taste difference since yeast forms carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. There are many breads that are unleavened and most are flatbreads.
Which flour is best for fermentation? ›
Whole wheat and rye flours provide more nutrients for your starter and ferment more actively, but working with rye flour makes starter maintenance easier than whole wheat. Rye provides increased fiber and nutrients similar to whole wheat flour, but because of its lower gluten amount it's much easier to stir.
What is the difference between kefir grains and kefir starter? ›
Kefir Starter Culture is made of freeze-dried bacteria, similar to our yogurt starter culture. It is a powdery substance that you activate when you use it, in order to make kefir. Kefir grains are clumps of live kefir bacteria, colonies of yeast and bacteria, held together by kefirin, a polysaccharide substance.
Can you use store bought kefir as a starter? ›
CAN YOU MAKE KEFIR FROM STORE-BOUGHT KEFIR? The answer is yes...and no. If you want to make milk kefir from pre-made kefir, either store-bought or from a friend, then you may have success one, two, three, or even four times. It is also possible that you may not end up with a successful batch of cultured kefir at all.
How much kefir grains do you need to start? ›
-Place 1 Tbsp kefir grains in a glass jar and fill with 1 cup fresh milk. The ratio of grains to milk should always be 1 tbsp to 1 cup, and can be increased if you'd like to make a bigger batch.
How long does wheat need to soak? ›
Place 1 cup of wheat berries in a bowl to soak them overnight. Use enough water to ensure that the wheat berries are covered. This step isn't necessary, but it will cut back on the cooking time down the line and make things easier. After the berries have been soaked for at least 12 hours, drain them into a bowl.
How long do you soak whole wheat? ›
Drain and rinse the grains before cooking with fresh water. Even though 7-8 hours is the minimum recommended for soaking, even a few hours is better than nothing. An extra benefit to soaking grains is a shorter cooking time. The longer you soak them, the less time is needed to cook and also less water.
Can I soak wheat flour overnight? ›
Soaking whole grains overnight or for a few hours can help break down anti-nutrients, making them easier to digest. Soaking whole wheat flour before baking can improve its texture and reduce the heaviness often associated with whole grain products.
What not to do with kefir? ›
We do not recommend mixing maple syrup, agave, or honey with your kefir. Maple syrup and agave have a high GI rating, which disrupts your microbiome. Honey is a natural antibiotic, which interferes with the good probiotics in the kefir.
Kefir is an extremely versatile baking ingredient and when substituted for milk, buttermilk or water, will produce a delicious and healthy twist for any dish imaginable. Because it's fermented and cultured, it adds both texture and taste to any baked good.
Can I bake with kefir instead of milk? ›
Use a 1-to-1 ratio when substituting for buttermilk, sour cream, milk and yogurt when cooking or baking – from cookies, crumbles, breads, biscuits – even your favorite pancake or waffle mix!
How do you ferment dough naturally? ›
You just need flour and water. To see the miracle of fermentation in action, mix equal parts flour and water — start with a cup of each — in a large bowl, and cover it. Leave it alone in a warm place, and over the course of 24 hours you'll start to see bubbles in the mixture, like the bubbles in pancake batter.
Does all fermentation require yeast? ›
Although yeast carries out the fermentation in the production of ethanol in beers, wines, and other alcoholic drinks, this is not the only possible agent: bacteria carry out the fermentation in the production of xanthan gum.
Can you raise dough without yeast? ›
Baking Soda
It helps breads rise and gives them their light and airy texture. Unlike yeast, baking soda needs an acid to activate it. By adding an acid to baking soda (such as lemon juice or cream of tartar) a chemical reaction occurs that produces carbon dioxide and fills your bread with air — much like yeast does.
Does dough still rise without yeast? ›
Instead of using yeast to make the bread rise, quick breads rely on other leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder to get height. "Quick breads, like banana bread, zucchini bread, and cornbread are delicious and easy alternatives to yeast-based bread and can satisfy cravings in a pinch," says Tyler Lee.
A few weeks ago, I posted on social mediathat I was trying a new soaked bread recipe. Quite a few of you commented or emailed asking for the recipe, but I wanted to get it just right first before sharing. Making traditionally prepared bread (as opposed to modern, difficult to digest yeasted breads) can be a bit tricky to master. No one wants to waste quality ingredients not to mention precious time on failed attempts! 
