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
Kefir Bread
Kefir milk offers several potential health benefits, largely due to its rich probiotic content and other nutrients. Homemade kefir bread allows you to control the ingredients and make healthier choices.
Can you use kefir to make a sourdough starter? ›
USE MILK KEFIR DIRECTLY AS THE “SOURDOUGH STARTER”
Use the amount of flour indicated in the recipe plus the amount of starter given. If a recipe calls for 2 cups of starter, 3 cups of flour, and 1 cup of water, use 5 cups of flour and 1 cup of milk kefir.
Can you ferment dough without yeast? ›
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.
Does kefir ferment flour? ›
Aside from naturally fermented (sourdough) bread, my favorite fermenting and (slightly) raising agent is milk kefir. When I'm short on time or mis-time my sourdough culture, I use this kefir fermented dough to make bread products.
Is kefir too high in sugar? ›
Causes risk of diabetes: Although some studies have reported that kefir is a helpful drink for people with diabetes because it reduces blood sugar levels, other types of kefirs, particularly fruit-flavored kefir, can include a lot of added sugar, which people with diabetes should avoid.
Is kefir full of sugar? ›
Scientists do know that milk kefir is a good source of protein, calcium, and potassium. Plain milk kefir is also relatively low in sugar and fat. People can use kefir in their diet in a similar way to yogurt.
Can I bake with 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.
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.
How many times can you use kefir starter? ›
If cared for properly, milk kefir grains have an unlimited life span and can be used repeatedly to make kefir. Kefir made with a direct-set style starter culture can often be re-cultured from 2 to 7 times. The exact number of successive batches will depend on the freshness of the kefir and hygienic practices employed.
How did they make bread in the old days without yeast? ›
The most common source of leavening in antiquity was to retain a piece of dough (with sugar and water in) from the previous day to utilize as a form of sourdough starter. Pliny the Elder reported that the Gauls and Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer to produce "a lighter kind of bread than other peoples".
Some differences could be that your bread will not rise as tall as you're used to, the flavor is a little different, or the texture may not be exactly the same. However, if you're out of yeast or don't have the time to wait for your bread to rise, these substitutes will undoubtedly get the job done.
Will bread rise with no 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.
What does over fermented kefir look like? ›
If you see clear yellowish liquid and curds, it is over-fermented and has passed the thickening stage. It is now separating into whey and curds. Again, this is not bad - it's just a little more sour and may be less appealing.
Is Trader Joe's kefir fermented? ›
Kefir is a fermented drinkable yogurt rich in probiotics. Enjoy one of the various flavors Trader Joe's offers as a post-workout snack or as a part of a balanced breakfast. Kombucha.
Why does my homemade kefir smell yeasty? ›
Normally the yeasty aroma will lessen significantly within a few batches. If the yeasty aroma continues, the water kefir may be over-culturing, which can cause an imbalance. Make sure to reduce the culturing time in warmer temperatures, to keep the grains well-fed and in balance.
Is probiotic bread good for you? ›
Prebiotics, which aid in digestion and help to form a healthy gut microbiome, are also formed during the sourdough bread fermentation process. Sourdough bread also tends to contain less gluten than other bread, further promoting gut health and easing digestion, especially for those who are gluten-intolerant.
What happens to your body when you drink kefir everyday? ›
Research shows that kefir can reduce damage caused by metabolic syndrome (multiple health conditions that can increase your risk of heart disease). Kefir helps lower your blood pressure, manage your cholesterol levels, and improve your triglycerides (fats in the blood). It may even help prevent future cardiac events.
Why is kefir so high in carbs? ›
Carbs. Although kefir is an animal product, which some people associate with low levels of carbohydrates, it's not carb-free. This is due to naturally occurring sugars in its milk base.
Is kefir high in carbs? ›
Kefir can be an awesome drink to incorporate into your keto diet. The goal with most keto diets is to limit your carbohydrates to 20-50 grams a day. An average serving of kefir contains around 10-13 grams of carbs – well within that limit. Better yet, Nexba's Kefir has just 0.6 grams of carbohydrates.
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! 
