Sprouted Flour

The beauty of sprouted whole grain flour is that it makes available more vital nutrients than unsprouted flour.  The major benefit is that those nutrients are in a state that that can more readily be absorbed and digested by the body.

Grains are seeds.  Unsprouted seeds hold the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in a dormant state.  The germ portion of the seed contains all the genetic information to turn that seed into a full-grown plant, as well as the enzymes necessary for sprouting.  When the grain cell germinates, or sprouts, that genetic information ignites, and the resulting amylase activity, or enzymatic action, ultimately results in plant growth.  During the sprouting process, the starch molecules, or complex carbohydrates, are broken down into smaller parts, referred to as simple sugars.  Simple sugars are the building blocks that make up complex carbohydrates but in a form that the body absorbs more easily.  The body recognizes and readily digests simple sugars for quick energy, as opposed to starches that can be stored as fat.  The grain sprouts. transforming itself into a plant, and we know that plants consist primarily of simple sugars that easily digest in the body in the form of vegetables.

Unsprouted whole grains are storage cells.  The whole kernel of grain stores vital nutrients that are not in a form that the body can absorb as well as when the grain is sprouted.  Milling unsprouted whole grains merely grinds the storage cell.  No matter how fie or coarse the grind, it remains in the completely unsprouted dried seed state.  Grinding or milling a whole grain does not change its properties.  However, sprouting does!

Sprouting naturally manufactures vitamin C, increases vitamin B content and carotene levels, and aids the body's absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.  The nutritional components of sprouting are succinctly explained by Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions (New Trends Publishing, 1999) and the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.  Phytic acid, an organic acid in which phosphorus is bound, is present in the outer, or bran layer of whole grain.  Phytic acid, an enzyme inhibitor, can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption.  Sprouted grains contain enzymes, lactobacilli, and other helpful organisms that break down and neutralize phytic acid, allowing the body to better absorb the nutrients.  The enzyme activity and lactobacilli growth that occur when grains sprout therefore aid in digestion.

Whole wheat baked goods have a reputation for tasting bitter, even though most contain only a small percentage of whole grains.  The sprouting process results in amazingly tasty flour that is mild and full of flavor, with no bitterness. (This is an excerpt from Essential Eating: Sprouted Baking, by Janie Quinn, Published by Azure Moon Publishing)

About To Your Health Sprouted Flour:

• Made from organic wheat, spelt, and rye berries.
• Sprouted, dried, and milled on the farm.
• Low temperatures (do not exceed 110) used throughout the process. 
• Featured in Weston A. Price Foundation's Shoppers' Guide under "Best Grains".

For more information about To Your Health Sprouted Flour, visit their website.

TYH's Sprouted Brownies 

• 3 cups sprouted flour
• 2 cups organic buttermilk
• 12 Tbsp. organic butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups organic sucanat (can substitute rapadura or organic sugar)
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. chocolate extract
• 1 Tbsp. aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 3/4 cup organic cocoa powder (can substitute carob powder)
• Crispy pecans or walnuts, chopped

Mix flour and buttermilk into a dough by hand, in electric stand mixer or in a food processor.  Set dough aside. Place softened butter and sucanat in large bowl or bowl of electric stand mixer and cream.  Add eggs, vanilla, and chocolate extract.  Blend well.  Add baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder and mix well.  Pull dough into small pieces and add to bowl.  Blend all well.  Spoon batter into a 9x13 Pyrex dish that has been buttered and floured.  Sprinkle top generously with chopped nuts.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean (*See my note below).  NOTE: You may need to experiment with oven temps and time.  We use a convection oven at 300 degrees for 50-55 minutes.

*Note: I made these soft, moist brownies and they baked much quicker than expected!  I baked them for 32 minutes at 350 degrees, so be sure to check often!