Hearing that yogurt is good for you is nothing new. (I even wrote about its virtues after a study found that yogurt eaters are healthier). But, according to new research, the health benefits may extend beyond calcium (good for bones and the prevention of osteoporosis), potassium (important in controlling blood pressure), and magnesium (may help prevent migraines)—the probiotics, or “good” bacteria, found in yogurt might be good for your brain.
For full post, click here.This week I made my first loaf of bread WITH NO FLOUR. It all started with a vegan potluck a few months ago when one of our talented friends brought as his contribution a loaf of Yeasted Sprouted Wheat Bread. Along with his wife’s olive tapenade it was the hit of the party. We all raved about it so much that our friend, Doug, finally suggested that we do an informal bread-making lesson. He would walk us through the steps, showing us how easy it really was! With several enthusiastic responses, we finally set times and dates, and got started. Here’s how it went:
1) We all went and purchased 3 cups of organic hard wheat kernals, and soaked them overnight.
2) In the morning we drained the water off, and put them in a sieve resting in a bowl to drain. We kept them moist (rinsing every few hours, or as often as possible, and covering with a damp cloth if we were at work all day). After a couple of days the grains started to sprout (mine are A LITTLE longer than you probably want here).
3) We got together to do the grinding. What you need:
Here is a video that showed how we got started:
4) Once the grinding was done, we had to knead the bread for a few minutes. This is what it looked like before kneading:
Another video showing the kneading stage:
5) After the kneading, it was time to let it rise. We left the bread for a few hours – it didn’t rise a whole lot, but then we punched it down, put it in a greased bread tin, and let it rise again (I left mine covered in the fridge overnight and it rose beautifully).
6) Then it was time to bake! 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 F (although some people found that the middle of their bread was still a bit sticky, so a slightly longer cooking time might be necessary – keep an eye on it!
7) I served mine with homemade hummus and some olives – WOW!
Here’s the link if you’d like to read the recipe through – but it really was as easy as the steps outlined above! http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2010/07/16/bbb-sprouted-grain-bread/
What I loved most about this was learning something new from a friend. Thanks to Doug Cooper, our bread guru!
This activity has sparked an interest in our vegan potluck group to share food knowledge and know-how – next is roasting your own coffee! Stay tuned…
