Simple Sprouted Wheat Bread

There’s nothing quite like the smell of homemade bread wafting through the kitchen, and this Simple Sprouted Wheat Bread makes it doable even for wary bread-makers.

It’s simple to put together (no kneading required) and studded with dried fruit and seeds, making it suitable for starting your day, snacking, and slathering with butter or jam.

Sprouted grains are quickly becoming an obsession of mine. Sprouted grain flour is a dream to work with in baking! Want to add more sprouted grains to your diet? Try these Sprouted Grain Green Onion Biscuits with a nice salad, or boost your breakfast with Sprouted Grain Pecan Muffins or Sprouted Oat Pancakes.

What Makes This Recipe Work?

If you think sprouted grains are difficult to work with, I promise they aren't. With a little understanding, you can be a pro in no time! This is a great recipe to start with if you haven’t worked with them before since it’s a 50/50 blend of sprouted and all-purpose flours. 

This recipe uses the straight dough method which means you mix everything together at once. There’s also no kneading on the countertop thanks to the stronger gluten bonds created when using sprouted whole grains. While you do have to give it some rising time, this bread is really as easy as a quick bread to make. Sprouted grain bread also has a soft, tender crumb that works really well with the other textural elements of this recipe.

The texture of this bread is probably my favorite thing about it. You’ll get chewy little sweet bites thanks to the dried fruit, and a seed-rich mixture both inside the bread and on the crust to provide a lovely crunch. Of course, these things add even more elements to the sprouted whole grains, which makes me feel better about having more than one slice!

Ingredients

• Water- Use warm water to activate the yeast.
• Yeast- Make sure your yeast is fresh and within its use-by date to ensure a good rise.
• Honey- You can substitute with maple syrup if needed.
• Egg- You’ll need one large egg to enrich the dough plus another egg for brushing onto the dough before baking
• Butter/Oil - I prefer to use butter for this recipe, but you can also use an equal amount of any neutral-flavored oil.
• Salt - I prefer kosher salt for my baking.
• Sprouted wheat flour-
• Bread flour- You can replace this with all-purpose if needed. In some areas, it may be hard to get your hands on.
• Dried fruit- I used dried cranberries for this recipe.
• Mixed seeds- My favorites for this whole grain bread are poppy, sunflower, and flax seeds. You’ll need some for inside the loaf itself, plus more for sprinkling on top
• Oats- These are optional, but I add some rolled oats to the seed mixture for the top of the bread.
• Milk- Use this to thin your eggwash. You can substitute it with non-dairy milk or even water if needed.

How to Make

1. Start by activating your yeast. Once the bubbles start to form, add the egg, butter, salt, and flour.
2. Mix the dough until it’s good and smooth.
3. Add your dried fruits and seeds and mix on medium until they’re incorporated.
4. Cover and allow the dough to double in a warm place.
5. Shape your dough into a boule or whatever shape you prefer.
6. Place on a sheet pan, cover, and put back in the warm place to double again. Preheat the oven when it gets to the end of the rise.
7. Brush the top of the risen loaf with egg wash. This isn't essential, but it sure makes for a beautiful color!
8. Sprinkle with a mixture of nuts and seeds.
9. Vent the loaf.
10.  Place into the preheated oven on the middle shelf and bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 190 degrees.
11. When you pull it from the oven, give it about 10 minutes before you cut into it. Then slice and enjoy with a generous pat of butter!!

Tips for Making Simple Sprouted Wheat Bread

• I formed mine into a boule shape, but you can shape it any way you want. If you want to shape it as I did, it's simple. Take the dough and tuck all the edges under, making sure to give it a round top. Then, move the loaf in a circular motion continuing to pull the dough around to form a beautiful boule.
• I also slit the top with my favorite lame. If you don't have a lame, you can always use a sharp knife. Why score the bread? The bread will vent steam somewhere. If you create the vent, it will vent there. If not, it will blow out wherever it wants!
• I love grinding my own grains, and my Nutrimill makes this process simple. It does take a bit of time, but the baking results are worth it. The flavor is better, plus I can experiment with grains that might be hard to find already ground. Depending on the grains you’re using, it can even be cheaper than buying flour.
• You’ll want to adjust the oven temperature during the baking process for perfect results. I like to bake the first 7-10 minutes at about 400 degrees. This will give the bread a beautiful "oven spring". Then I reduce the heat to 350 degrees and finish baking for about 40-50 minutes until it is a deep golden brown.
• I used about a cup of dried cranberries in my bread. If you don’t like cranberries, though, you can use other dried fruits - raisins, dates, apricots, or anything that sounds good to you. You can also experiment with different seeds or add chopped nuts to the inside and/or on top of the bread.

• Yeasted Breads
• Sprouted Grains