I made this today and am, in fact, eating a warm and butter-slathered slice as I type these words. This is still my favorite bread, and it is still the #1 reason people find their way to my meager blog. The recipe is below, but for more pictures and a brief description, click here. And better yet, to read my Biblical views on Ezekiel Bread (or at least my interpretation on this recipe), click here.
2 tablespoons white beans
2 tablespoons red beans
2 tablespoons lentils
2 tablespoons barley
2 tablespoons millet
2 tablespoons bulgur wheat
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2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
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4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons kosher
3 teaspoons instant yeast
Boil the grains in the water in logical succession according to cooking times: first the white and red beans (about 60 minutes), when they are soft add the, spelt berries, lentils, and barley (about 30 minutes); lastly, add the millet and bulgar (about 10 minutes). The key is that after each addition the previous grain must be soft enough so that when all of the grains are in the pot they will all be equally soft; undercooked grains (especially the beans) can really ruin this bread. And as the grains cook add more water to the pot as necessary because the cooking liquid, which is full of nutrients, will become part of the recipe (keeping a lid on the pot will slow it’s evaporation). After the grains are cooked allow them to cool in the liquid to room temperature, refrigerating if necessary. After the grains are cooled drain them, squeezing them with your hands or the back of a spoon, reserving the cooking liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and cut it into 2 or 3 pieces. Shape into loaves and place into lightly oiled pans. Loosely cover the loaves with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 30-60 minutes, or until double in size and when gently touched with a fingertip an indentation remains.
Bake the breads for about 30-40 minutes, adding steam to the oven a few times (either with ice cubes or a spray bottle) and rotating the breads every ten minutes. The breads are done when they are dark brown and sound hollow when tapped upon. Remove the breads from their pans and allow them to cook on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Heh heh. Yes, indeed. I did find this blog via a google search for "Ezekiel bread recipe." 🙂 I am intrigued and plan on trying it out after a trip to a bulk food store for barley, millet and spelt. (The items not currently in my pantry.) Thanks so much for posting your recipe, process and philosophy of the whole thing. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks for visiting Emily…let me know how the bread turns out!