You hear it almost daily: “A diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk of_____________.” Fill in that blank with almost any condition, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, constipation, acid reflux just to name a few. The term whole grain is used to distinguish them from refined or white grains. A grain, such as oats, wheat, rice or barley has three layers in its natural state (see the picture from Wikipedia.) A whole grain contains all three layers. A white grain contains only the inner layer, the endosperm. It is white in color and is mostly starch. The vitamins, oil, antioxidants and fiber are found only in the brown colored bran and germ layers. Refined grain and flour makers add back around 12 nutrients. This is called enrichment. But enrichment does not replace the hundreds of nutrients and fiber that were in the original whole grain.
Here are a few tips on choosing whole grain bread and flour:
Read labels carefully. Look for the word “whole.” “Wheat flour” or “rice flour” is refined flour. Brown color does not mean whole grain. Breadmakers will add molasses or other brown coloring to make white bread look brown. The whole should be the first ingredient. This gives some assurance that the produce is predominantly whole grain. There is a bit of an art to making a 100% whole grain bread that rises well. So it is common to add enriched flour. The percentage of white flour should be no more than 30% of the flour to maximize the benefits of the whole grains.
Find a local source. Once a whole grain is milled into flour, the oil is no longer protected by the germ. It is dispersed throughout the flour and can go rancid. Transporting flour and bread products over long distances increases the chance of spoilage and may explain a bitter taste.
Store it properly. Refrigerate whole grain bread and flour and freeze any you intend to keep longer than two months. Use a freezer bag or other tightly sealed container. Our local whole grain bakery is open only three days a week. So daily bread isn’t an option. We slice the bread and place it into freezer bags two slices at a time. Frozen the same day it’s baked, it loses very little after thawing.
Avoid bromates. Used to prevent oxidation, they are thought to be carcinogenic. Europe has outlawed their use.
Know your types of flour. Whole wheat flour is made from hard red wheat. Whole wheat pastry flour is made from soft wheat. It is lower in gluten and thus creates a lighter product than straight whole wheat flour. Whole wheat white flour is made from a white, actually creamy colored wheat. It is lighter and sweeter tasting than whole wheat.
Every Sunday, my husband makes a special breakfast of buckwheat pancakes, fresh squeezed orange juice, real maple syrup and tea. In the spirit of the Sabbath, we keep our Sundays unscheduled. The ritual of making the meal and leisurely savoring it sets the intention for our day of rest together.
Sunday Morning Buckwheat Pancakes
1 cup plus 2 TBSP buckwheat flour
1 cup plus 2 TBSP whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat white flour
1 TBSP turbinado sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup soy milk or your favorite milk
3 TBSP coconut oil or ghee, gently melted
Coconut oil or ghee for cooking pancakes
Mix the flours and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, beat eggs until yellow. Stir the salt, milk and melted oil into the eggs. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture mixing until just moistened. Do not over-mix. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat a skillet on medium heat. Coat the skillet with only the amount of oil needed to make it glisten. We want to prevent sticking, but avoid frying the pancakes. Ladle the batter onto the skillet. Turn when they bubble, about one minute. Then cook one minute more or until golden. Serves 2 to 3.
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