Soaking Grains For Bread Making Enhances Their Nutrition

If you enjoy making homemade bread, you will reallyof my bread.
love learning about soaking the grains first prior toI put about 1 Tablespoon of an acid medium per 1
your bread making. Soaking your grains before usingcup of fresh milled flour. I then add the recipes liquid
them in your recipes will enhance their nutrition andingredients. I exclude the required oil. As I mentioned,
break down non-nutrients.I use the raw apple cider vinegar as my acidic
Yes, soaking grain will break down the phytic acid andmedium to break down this phytic acid.
enzyme inhibitors in your grains and up their nutritionalOK, so I get a bowl and put all the bread recipes
value too.liquid ingredients, except for the oil in this bowl. I add
You can soak your grains in warm water, an acidthe fresh milled organic whole wheat flour and then I
solution, or even both, to improve the nutritionaladd the appropriate amount of apple cider vinegar. I
value of this beneficial food.cover the bowl with a wet towel and leave the bowl
Did you know that prior to the industrialization ofon my counter overnight.
society, people fermented or soaked their grainsThen I just let the soaking begin.
before they used them in their baked goods. This isAs little as seven hours of the whole grain flour being
a lost traditional food preparation art. This culinary artsoaked in warm water which was required with the
should be reinstated for the benefit of our health.bread recipe along with a more acid solution will
There are many benefits to including the soaking ofneutralize a large portion of the antinutrients in the
grains step prior to making your bread.grains. Yes, the very easy practice of soaking milled
1. Grains are more readily digested and become easierwhole wheat flour overnight will vastly improve its
to absorbnutritional benefits and reduce the negatives from
2. Phytic acid, an antinutrient, is neutralizedthis phytic acid and the enzyme inhibitors.
3. Minerals, vitamins and beneficial enzymes areOnly 7 hours of soaking grains time is necessary to
increased.substantially neutralize a large portion of the phytic
The phytic acid is located in the outer layer of allacid and enzyme inhibitors in your grains. Twelve to
seeds, nuts and grains. The phytic acid bonds with24 hours is even better with a 24 hours soaking time
magnesium, calcium, iron, copper and zinc in yourgiving the best results.
intestinal tract and then they pass through yourI personally usually just soak my ground whole wheat
intestines without being properly absorbed.flour overnight. I put a wet towel over the bowl that
To prevent the phytic acid from theoretically robbingmy soaking flour is in to keep the bugs out and
us of our nutrition, it can be broken down throughmoisture in the mixture.
the soaking process.The next day or 7-8 hours later, I take off the
So yes, whole grains are very good for us, but totowel, put in the remaining bread making ingredients
optimize their nutrition and decrease this phytic acidand bake up the recipe. Sometimes I get antsy and
content and also the enzyme inhibitors, we mustbake the bread before 7-8 hours of soaking and I still
properly prepare them before we consume them.know the bread will be far more nutritional than with
When making homemade bread, soak your freshno soaking at all.
ground flour first. I like to use Bragg's Raw AppleI now get to enjoy fresh baked bread with soaked
Cider Vinegar as my acidic soaking medium choicegrains. It tastes wonderful, and I enjoy the fact that
when baking bread. I find it does not alter the flavorI have optimized the nutritional value of my bread.