Walnut and date sprouted wheat essene bread, now that’s a recipe title for you. When you read those words, you know exactly what’s in there. Okay, I left out filtered water to sprout the grain in but that’s it. I followed the healthy folks method of nothing but sprouted wheat, dates and walnuts.
When I sliced the bread and passed it around to my two friends who eat only bread like this, their eyes were gleaming. “It’s better than the bread we buy, Maureen!” (as if they were surprised?)
With that recommendation I took a big bite and thought, “Blechhh!!” It WAS good in a cakey/bready sort of way but it needed salt. It begged for salt.
“No, Maureen, that’s just your salt-driven palate, you don’t need salt. We both think this bread is perfect and will eat the entire loaf,” Madonna said. And they did!
All I could think of was, ‘pass the salt shaker.’
Then I did what you’re all thinking I did. I slathered it with salted butter and I was in heaven. I was right, it needed salt. I don’t know what salt would do to the baking process but I’ll try it the next time I take 3 days to prepare a loaf of bread.
- 2 cups wheat kernels (wheat berries)
- ½ cup rye kernels
- ⅔ cup chopped dates (chop before measuring)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Add the wheat and rye to a large bowl and pour in enough filtered water to rise a few inches over the grain. Stir to ensure all the grain is wet. Leave for 12 hours.
- After 12 hours, drain the grain and rinse with filtered water and rinse twice a day until the grain has sprouted. (tails as long as the grain) This can be as quick as 2 or as long as 3 days depending upon the room temperature.
- When grain has sprouted, grind it in a meat grinder, food processor, Vitamix or Thermomix along with ⅓ cup of chopped dates. Grind until the mixture looks like bread dough - it will. I needed to add a tablespoon or two of filtered water to get the right consistency.
- Add the remaining dates and nuts, mix well and leave for at least one hour, no more than 2.
- Preheat oven to 125C / 250F
- Pour into a greased bread tin and bake in the oven for 3 hours.
- Turn off oven and leave until oven is cold. I made mine at night and left it in the oven all night and ate it for breakfast.
- Remove from pan and slice.
- Keep in the refrigerator if you're not going to eat it all in a day or so as there are no preservatives.
Just a quick update on John’s father. He’s all settled in to his suite at the nursing home. All of his things are in their proper place and his computer works fine, his DVD player can belt out opera music as loud as he wants it and all is well. All except…. “Maureen, I ate all the granola bars you gave me, is it possible to get some more?” I thought that I could slip in a cheap batch of cookies or brownies but no, the expensive, over the top granola bars are what must be made. I’ve just come back from the supermarket $30 lighter and the granola bars will be delivered tomorrow.
If granola bars can make a 93 year old happy in a nursing home, I can certainly make them. Apparently all those oats keep the system going, if you know what I mean.
What a great recipe Maureen, I really like the fact that you are very clear in your instructions that this will take 3 days to make and why. Glad John’s dad is adapting well. Happy week-end to you!
Glad Rob is liking his new digs! Interesting bread — although it might be a bit too healthy for me! Bet the flavor is good though. With salt. 😉
LOL I said the same thing!
I’ve never heard of this bread. Does sound insanely healthy and yes I was thinking it looked like it needed some salty butter. Yum!
Glad to hear rob is settling in ok.
Madonna and Paul thought it was delightful and are wondering when the next loaf will be made. Not anytime soon. 🙂
YEA for Granola Bars!!!! And sprouted wheat bread.
Breads with Biblical names … talk about old school. 🙂
I’m glad that Rob is settled in at the nursing home though I wonder if he’s eating all the granola bars himself or is he sharing with his new buddies? 🙂
He admitted eating them all himself. It’s now 7:43am on Sunday morning. I worked really late and was going to sleep in but Rob called at 7:15 ‘to see how I was.’ How I am is awake. 🙂
I am so glad people like you exist in the world. My parents are the same with my grandparents; endlessly giving (and my grandparents give back, because they’re awesome). I can only hope to be able to repay all their kindnesses. Am I making any sense? I’m a wee bit tired today. Perhaps I need fancy sprouted bread (with salt for me too, thanks).
You do what you need to do, Hannah. It’s really that simple. It’s the right thing to do to look after them.
I can’t believe there’s so few ingredients in this bread. A recipe that takes three days to prepare – you’d certainly have to plan ahead. It does look really good and walnuts and dates are a lovely combination xx
What a hearty looking bread!
What a dense, yummy looking bread. I have a feeling I’d want salt in mine, too…but I’d still have to smear on some butter!
I love walnut bread, this looks so tasty!
This is very similar to the bread eaten by Jesus Christ and his disciples in his Fructo-Essene diet. It was baked in the sun to save the enzymes ~ It supposedly both prevented illness and cured it!
I knew someone would come forth with more information. I’m not surprised it was you, Eha, thanks a lot! I did read about cooking it outside on rocks in the sun but with all the rain we’ve got up here, I’d be waiting a long time and it’s soon winter anyway. 🙂
No, Maureen, I agree!!!!! The deserts of the Holy Land in summer would be quite a bit more suitable 😀 !! It is quite amazing tho’ to learn how much the Essenes etc actually associated food/wine with health . . .
Ha! I think a bit of salt can do wonders do a dish – and we do need salt after all – so I’m inclined to agree with your judgement 🙂 What an amazing effort though, and I love your use of dates and walnuts.
I’ve just filled my drawer with dates and just keep eating them with champagne…the intention was to put them in some cake…or bread! Good job, Maureen…healthy or not, it’s good to try different things! 🙂 ela
That millet pizza of yours was different too. 🙂
This looks so super healthy. I just went on an ice cream crawl. I think I need to make up for that with this bread. This sounds delicious!
Gosh, Maureen, what an interesting recipe!
I think I’d be heading to the fridge for the butter too. It does look good though:)
That looks fantastic Maureen! I am a salter too. I can’t imagine food without a good dash of salt!
Lol!! Maureen, you are a funny creature, and adorable. By the way, that bread looks heavenly, an I am salt driven too! We will get along just fine.
I’m not a big salt consumer but no salt is just bleh. 🙂
OK, I printed this out and I am going to the store tomorrow, I must bake this bread! Seems sorta funny to call it bread as it only has these few ingredients. It certainly sounds healthy though. I will get back to you for sure.
This is perfect! I bought some wheat berries the other for the purpose of making your last loaf of bread. Looks like I’ll be sprouted more than expected. 🙂 Great bread!
What a lovely recipe Maureen, but 3 days to prepare!!! it really needs patience but I’m sure it worth it.
love that density of the bread!
Unique bread creation, a must-bookmark! I like how wholesome and dense the flavors seem to be in the recipe:)
I’m afraid I am like you this sounds divine once slathered in salted butter, then again to me all bread tastes better slathered in salted butter 🙂 such a bad habit but also such a delicious one!
I’m with you on the salt! I add it to everything. I bet this bread was so so good with salted butter though..mmmmm 🙂
I tried a sprouted bread recently and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I am going to get some sprouted berries so I can try this.
I’ve just started experimenting with sprouted bread! Good thing for salted butter, eh? Looks great Maureen! 🙂
yes!! 🙂
I have tried this recipe. But I have a question I tried it in a bread pan open 3 times and the bread turned out hard like a brick from outside. Thought the temperature at which I bakes was 270 and I baked for 3.25 hours. Also I did not add any walnuts or dates its pure essene bread. I am surprised that with 250 and for 3 hours the bread you made turns out so soft. Please help me with some information here. I am trying to get the bread correct but my bread becomes too moist, and most of all too brittle and crumbly it is just not possibly to slice it.
I’m really sorry. I suspect it’s the addition of the dates which give the bread its moistness and stability. I’ve made it a few times with success and I’m sorry the changes you made weren’t a good result.
I am mostly blogging these days, and just this last week got into The Art of Fermentation. Logically, as a bread baker for over 40 years I am now avidly interested in sprouting grains and making breads. I am definitely trying this recipe! Maybe with a little salt 😉 I am also looking at how to incorporate some sprouted grains into the Whole Wheat Miche from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. I love that bread, and the only thing I can imagine would make it taste better is some part-ground sprouted wheat / rye/ or other grain. Thank you for having this one thought out!
Sounds great except it is not essene bread. This is sprouted grain bread. True essence bread is raw. Traditionally it was sun dried but many use a dehydrator, oven on low or beside a woodstove (my fave).