What You Need to Know about Sprouted Flour

Flour is the powdered form of grains, roots, or seeds. Different types of flour can be made from different grains and seeds, such as wheat, corn, rice, tapioca, nuts, barley, etc. All these types of flour contain different amounts of starch, carbohydrates, and protein, and are rich in various minerals and nutrients.

It is made from sprouted grains or sprouted seeds. To make the grains sprout, first they need to be soaked in water. Later on, they need to be drained and rinsed at required intervals till they germinate. This process is known as sprouting.

Each grain has its own seed germination process, and different grains need different amount of sunlight, temperature, and moisture to germinate. Once germinated to the desired level, the grains should be dried, milled and processed so that edible flour is ready. Flour made from such sprouted grains is known as sprouted flour.

It is beneficial to health, as the process of sprouting allows the grains to grow into a living plant, which contains more nutrients. It has high amounts of Vitamin B, C, E, K, carotene and other enzymes, which are produced during sprouting. It is also high on carbohydrates and fibers.

A significant characteristic of sprouted flour is that it is very easy to digest, as during germination, the complex starch and sugar in the grain gets converted to simple sugar that aids digestion.

It is observed that this flour has a longer shelf life as compared to regular flour. It enhances the value of food, as it is more nutritious. Many doctors and diet experts suggest the use of sprouted flour to avoid vitamin deficiencies and to boost the immune system. Thus, it can be seen that this flour certainly has more health benefits when compared to regular flour.

In earlier days, because of the lack of storage bins and uncontrolled storage conditions, grains used to sprout naturally. But with modern processes, it is possible to sprout grains artificially in bulk as well. You can also make sprouted flour at home by following these simple steps.

• Wash the grains thoroughly. This is done to remove dirt and other impurities that might affect the process of germination.
• The next step is to soak the washed grains in water for 12-24 hours.

• After the stipulated time, drain the water from the grains and rinse the grains with freshwater. Leave the rinsed grains to sprout. Repeat the process if the grains do not sprout within 6-8 hours.

• When the sprouts appear and develop to the right length, rinse the grains again. After rinsing the grains, leave them to dry naturally, or if you want to use a drying machine, keep the temperature low to retain the nutrients.
• Now the grains are ready to be ground and milled.
• Store the ground flour in an airtight jar and use it as per your requirement.

It can be used for baking and cooking, and can be made a part of your daily diet by using it in bread, pasta or pie. For example, try out this tasty and healthy sprouted grain recipe to make pasta. All you have to do is select a grain of your choice, let it sprout, follow the steps given and your nutritious flour is ready.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sprouted flour
• 4 teaspoons lard
• ½ cup sourdough starter
• 2/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• Olive oil
• Water

Directions

Take a bowl and mix flour and Celtic sea salt. Once it has gelled well, add the lard. Later on, to make a heavy dough, add sourdough starter and water to the mixture. Knead the mixture for few minutes so that all the ingredients are mixed well. Then wrap the dough in a baking paper and keep it to prove for 12-24 hours.

Now the dough is ready to make pasta. Before you start making pasta, knead the dough again for few minutes, and roll out with the help of a baking pin. Let the rolled out dough be about 2 mm thick. Now take a sharp knife and cut the dough into small pieces of your choice, for example, narrow strips.

Put these dough strips in boiling hot water for 5 minutes and then strain it. Toss some olive oil in a saucepan along with the cooked dough stripes and saute for 5 mins. If you want, you can add your favorite toppings, sauces or vegetables in this as well. Cook for about five minutes and your delicious pasta is ready to eat.

You can make sprouted flour a part of your staple diet by substituting it with regular flour. In addition to the health benefits, this flour has a better taste that will make all your recipes mouth-watering and delicious.