This sprouted bread used whole sprouted wheat berries to make a living manna bread!
I cannot believe I'm just getting around to sharing this recipe with you all! It used to be a recipe I'd make on a weekly basis (like three years ago) but fell out of the habit of baking because, well, that's life. With spring here I am feeling so inspired to make all the things I used to make and love that I had tucked away for a later date. Part of this is due to my new motto "be yourself - make what you want", the other key player is finally feeling settled in one spot long enough to properly get all nesty and homey. So without further ado, I introduce you to sprouted bread
or manna bread
sometimes called Essenes bread
or whatever name you prefer...
What is Sprouted Bread aka Manna Bread?
Basically this sprouted bread is made only from sprouted wheat berries (the entire grain - bran, germ, and endosperm) with a little bit of salt and some raisins for flavour. While I know a lot of people are avoiding wheat these days, I think it's important for those of us who don't have sensitivities to the grain to try to consume it in healthier forms. You see, as a baker, I love bread. I would go as far as to say that I am a bread snob. So when I see people at the grocery store pick up generic sliced, chemically-rich bread that contains such additives as 'human hair' or 'chicken feathers' a little piece of me dies inside*.
Sprouted Bread (Manna Bread) History
Bread for me is life. It is the backbone of almost every civilization. It is the embodiment of history, comfort, and the synonym for sharing.
Historically, sprouted bread like this is attributed to the Essenes, a historical group who flourished over 2ooo years ago. Some stories claim that the bread was cooked in the sun, which in recent times has made this type of bread very popular with raw foodies. While I did bake mine, you could easily dehydrate it (I'd probably split the recipe into two loaves) to maintain as many nutrients as possible. And while you may look at these slices and think "how can I make this into a sandwich?", you probably can't. While the slices are small, they are packed with nutrients and fibre and will keep you much fuller than four slices of the store-bought stuff.
*If you do want to buy store-bought bread, I love Ezekiel and Silver Hills - not sponsored, I just love and eat these.
How to Make Sprouted Bread
Total Time: 2 days
Find Wheat (or Spelt, or Rye) Berries
Find whole wheat grain, also referred to as "berries". You can often find them in bulk sections of natural grocery stores. You don't want them to be crushed or broken as they will not sprout.
Soak and Sprout the Berries
Cover the wheat berries with water. Let them sit overnight on the counter. The next day, drain the water from the jar and cover it with cheesecloth or a milk nut bag.
If you have a spouter, you can use that too. Just note that the wheat will double in size, so make sure you have a big jar.
Once the jar is covered with a breathable lid, rinse the sprouts again, and leave them in upsidedown in a dish to drain (at around a 45-degree angle). Give the sprouts a rinse twice a day with fresh water. Drain the excess water off and leave them to drain fully in the dish. After rinsing your sprouts for a few days, you will start to see little whitetails on them. Now they are ready to use.
Add Flavourings
Combine the drained sprouted wheat berries, salt, raisins, and any flavours to a food processor. Here is where you could add dried herbs if you desire.
Puree
Puree the ingredients until you get a nice sticky mixture. As you can see in the photo, there is still some texture.
Shape and Cook
Place the dough on a parchment-lined tray. With greased hands, shape the dough into a loaf shape—around 12 cm wide and 22 cm long (or 5 by 9 inch) and around 4 cm tall (1 ¼- 1 ½).
What Grain Can You Use?
To make spouted bread, grains like wheat, spelt and rye work best.
What if My Grains Don't Sprout?
If your grains don't sprout there are two things which could be the problem.
1) the wheat is old. in this case use fresher wheat.
2) the wheat is damaged. You want to use whole wheat berries here. If they are broken or the germ is damaged, they won't sprout. Look for intact wheat berries.
How do I Store Sprouted Bread
Because this is an intense loaf to make, I recommend making a large batch (double or triple) and freezing cooked loaves in a freezer bag for several months.
SPROUTED WHEAT MANNA BREAD
While this bread does take about three days to prep and make, it comes together with very little work. I’d recommend making a couple of loaves at a time and popping extra ones in the freezer once they’re cooked. Below I’ve included the ingredients to make a sweet loaf. If you’d rather have a savoury slice of toast, skip the raisins and cinnamon, and feel free to add spices, dried herbs, or chopped nuts once the mixture is pureed.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Wheat Berries (or spelt or rye)
- 1 tsp. Sea Salt
- ½ Cup Raisins
- ½ tsp. Cinnamon
Instructions
Sprouting
- Add the wheat berries to a large jar and fill it with water. Let them sit in the water overnight on the counter. The next day, drain the water and cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth or a milk nut bag. If you have a spouter, you can use that too. Just note that the wheat will double in size, so make sure you have a big jar.
- Once the jar is covered with a breathable lid, rinse the sprouts again, and leave them in upsidedown in a dish to drain (at around a 45-degree angle). Give the sprouts a rinse twice a day with fresh water. Drain the excess water off and leave them to drain fully in the dish.
Checking Sprouts
- Around the second day the wheat should have sprouted (it can take a little longer depending on temperature) and the sprouts should be as long as the kernel. This is as long as you want the sprouts to get. Any longer than this the sprouts have the risk of tasting bitter and green. Try to keep an eye on them, they grow fast.
- As soon as your seeds are as long as the grain, you can begin making the bread. If you don’t want to make bread ASAP, the sprouts can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. They will continue to grow in the fridge, so keep an eye on them (I’d give them a day or two in there at max).
Making Bread
- Rinse the sprouts one last time and drain them well. Combine them in a food processor with the raisins, cinnamon, and salt. Puree the mixture until a coarse dough is made. I stopped pureeing as soon as the dough began to form a ball.
- Grease your hands well and on a parchment-lined tray, mould the dough into a loaf shape – around 12 cm wide and 22 cm long (or 5 by 9 inch) and around 4 cm tall (1 ¼- 1 ½). If you make it thicker than this, it might not dry out correctly.
- Bake at 120 C (250 F) for three hours. Let the bread cool before slicing. Because of the lack of preservatives, this bread is best wrapped and stored in the fridge.
Maya | Spice + Sprout says
This bread looks stellar! So into it. I loved your links this week. I totally feel that article about the phrase "clean eating." I've always felt that terms like "clean" "cleanse" and "detox" are just used as another way to make women feel as though their bodies are somehow dirty or wrong. I totally get eating foods that are going to heal and make your body feel great, but those specific words always make me shudder a little. It is such a personal thing and those words feel like a universal prescription that is being sold to us. UGH. Thanks for sharing, Sophie! <3
Sophie says
Oh, I'm delighted to hear you like the links, Maya! Yes! Detox is one of my least favourite words of all time. And you're so right that all the words assume that some sort of lineal scale running bad to good exists. Enough of this food guilt! xox Happy weekend to you, buddy
Valentina | The Blue Bride says
Oh I used to eat this bread when I was living in France years ago! Thanks so much for sharing 😀
Sophie says
I'm so happy to hear you like the post, Valentina! Living in France?! That sounds like an amazing experience. I hope this loaf can live up to it's French counterpart 🙂
Rosemary says
I cannot wait to try this bread. I love all things real and natural.
Sophie says
yay, I hope you enjoy it <3
Amy Pearl says
Hello! Do you add the seeds on top before or after baking?
Sophie says
You can sprinkle them on before baking!
Chantel says
This look freaking amazing.
Sophie says
Ah, thank you! It is super yummy- I even had a slice this morning <3
Jess @Nourished by Nutrition says
I LOVE Ezekiel bead - the Genesis to be specific! I've had numerous failed attempts at making a sourdough starter so maybe something like this would work better for me! I love how dense and seedy this bread looks. Have you only ever tried this with wheat berries? I'm thinking it would, but I'm curious to know if you've tried any other wheat variety or whole grain.
Sophie says
Yay for Ezekiel bread! So much love for it! Yes, I have made this bread with other grains, mainly spelt but also with with emmer before. I think you could even add a couple of Tbsp. Soaked buckwheat or millet too. I'd love to know if you give it a go xox <3
Kankana says
wow wow! I never baked breads with sprout.. but you convinced me completely!
Sophie says
Awe, so happy to hear so, Kankana. Baking with sprouts is a little strange at first but really fun once you get the hang of it. 😉
Jodi says
I do love manna bread. I do however, always wish the slices were just a touch bigger 🙂 I used take home the banana manna from the health food store I worked at when it was freezer burned - those were the good days! I relate so much to what you said here sophie, being a baker as well (well not professionally anymore but maybe again one day) I have a deep deep love affair with wheat. I guess it all started in France, but now I just can't imagine being in a home where there isn't a loaf of bread around. It gets such a bad rap, poor gluten, but there are so many delicious and nutritious ways to prepare it. It all comes back to basics, I think I watched the 'air' episode of COOKED more times than I can count. I could go on and one, but just want to say thank you for this recipe and thank you for standing up for grains in all their glory. big love xx
Sophie says
I love it, Jodi! I've had friends who've worked at health-food shops and I always envied the expired yogurt and treasures they got their hands on. I'd be all over that banana manna bread! I too feel bad for gluten. When I used to work at an organic bakery in Victoria, people would come in looking for gluten free bread and I'd always ask them about it and the reasons why. Then I'd show them the loaf of naturally leavened bread made out of stone milled flour, grown less that a 30 minute drive away, and they'd be like 'no' - and go buy something with weird gums and stabilizers in it. And I be 'but this has four ingredients and one is water!' - lol
It's truly a shame people have been made to fear wheat, when it's just modern processed food they should fear.
And yes!!! So much love for that episode of COOKED! Also, the first few minutes of the Nancy Silverton episode of Chefs Table is pure gold. I could watch people make sourdough bread for hours and hours and never tire of it . xox <3
Heidi | Enlightened Decadence says
I remember making manna bread once...time maybe to give it another go with your recipe. I'm just terribly guilty of eating entire loafs of the stuff... in a single sitting (oh yeah). Also, I love spying all the pretty treasures in your photos 🙂
BTW, great links...and LOL to Ina and Stephen.
Sophie says
I too have been known to eat entire loaves of things in one sitting - there is just something about fresh bread that's so morish! Can't stop wont stop 🙂 I'm so happy to hear you like the post and seeing into our little home! I have to admit, I'm pretty bad for collecting too many treasures. xox
Susan says
Can u add carrots to this recipe?? If so what are the proportions?
Sophie says
Hello Susan! Yes, you can totally add carrots. Personally, I'd stick to 1/2 cup ish and be sure to squeeze out as much of the juice from the grated carrots as possible (to prevent a wet loaf). I'd love to hear how it turns out 🙂
Patricia Clarke says
Hi Sophie. This recipe sounds very delicious and nutritious. I do have a question. Do you soak the raisins first?j
Lori says
Made my first manna. It's freezing in NYC and my apartment is not temperature controlled. Sprouting took 2 extra days with the help of a microwave heat pad. Since some probably never sprouted, I will have run the food processor a bit more next time. The raisins added a lovely sweetness... those raisin haters will never know. Delicious even before it cools!
Doug says
Hi Sophie!
I love your page, wonderful info and such great energy!
Is it possible to use my Vitamix instead of a food processor? I really want to try this but I do to have a food processor at the moment. 🙂
Sophie says
Thank you. And yes, totally! Just be sure to do a little bit of the mixture at a time. Best of luck <3
Kim says
Hi Sophie,
Would this recipe work with Einkorn wheat berries? Your loaf looks delicious! I can't wait to make it.
Sophie says
Hi Kim, yes I think it should work just as well with Einkorn 🙂
Raf says
Hm but what's the point in cooking it and killing all the enzymes? I'm looking for a tasty recipe but for a truly raw essene bread. I guess I'll try your the ingredients you propose but I'll dry it instead of baking. Thanks anyway
Sophie says
Hi Raf. Personally, I like the taste and texture of the bread (and still think it is more nutritious than eating flour), plus I like the idea of accessibly (not everyone has a dehydrator). But if you are wanting a truly raw bread, you can pop this loaf into a dehydrator. You'll probably want to divide the mixture into smaller loaves (so it will dry evenly) or try drying the mixture in sheets like a cracker. Best of luck!
Helen says
I’ve just made a 1/2 size loaf of this using olives instead of raisins and some herbs instead of cinnamon. I wish I had made a full size loaf. ! I only have a tiny food processor so will have to try blending the full quantity in batches next time and mixing it all together by hand at the end. I didn’t process too much as I wanted a chunky texture, so the bits of olives are still discernible. I used my dehydrator. It’s lovely.
Sophie says
Hi Helen,
lovely! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe, and I love the savoury addition. I must try that! 🙂
Helen says
Yes do try olives. The natural oils add moisture and a gorgeous texture. I might try adding a few sundried tomatoes too next time. I don’t have any fresh herbs to try at the moment but plan to get some in. I love basil and coriander.
Xx
valentina says
Hi there, I am desperately trying to make a good manna bread, that tastes like bread, but it comes out either too wet or too dry.
Do not know what is the problem, one time I dried it almost completely, another time I used it wet, but the texture of the bread was too goo·ey, or too dry. In both cases, it did not taste like bread. Do I need to dry it completely? What is the process of making manna from start to bottom? Will appreciate
Sophie says
Hi Valentina! When you say you made it before, did you make this recipe? I find that the bread is moist, but not gooey. Where do you live? I live at sea level, so if you live in a high altitude, you might need to adjust your oven temperature. Let me know 🙂
valentina says
Thank you so much for your such a prompt reply, Sophie, I looked through so many sites, some recommend dry after soaking until only damp, I tried this, and the texture was too dry, did not have texture nor cake texture, and I had some berries in it, then I tried to put through food processor right after I took berries after soaking for two days, and they came out nice with long tales, but the texture was too wet after grinding for 5 minutes with dates in it, I have a very good and fast food processor, I baked it at 220 temperature, did not use my dehydrator, kept it for 2 hours, I made not bread loaf, small bagel size loaves. I put them in the refrigerator and now they are hard outside and soft inside, they do not taste like real Manna bread I bought from the store. I live in Valencia, Ca Thank you very much
Patricia Clarke says
Hi Sophie. This recipe sounds very delicious and nutritious. I do have a question. Do you soak the raisins first?
Sophie says
Thanks! Nope, I put them in as-is. If they are older and maybe less juicy, you totally can though.
Ann T Trombley says
Hi Sophie, Thanks for sharing! Okay, you may have already answered this in a previous email but I am confused. What do you mean by "leave them in an upright dish to drain (at around a 45-degree angle)". The wheat berries are in the jar with a cloth or breathable lid and I have them upright in a dish but place the dish at a 45 degree angle? Or do I turn them upside down so they can drain? Can you send me a picture?! I would really appreciate it!
Thanks again,
Ann
Sophie says
Hi Ann, sorry for any confusion. I'll take a look at the post a make sure it makes sense. Here is an image of what I mean It doesn't have to be the exact same, just want to make sure the sprouts drain fully <3
Mary Fillis says
Do you have an idea of the carb count for this bread?
Sophie says
Hi Mary, I don't have the micronutrients, but you can enter the ingredients on a site like this and it will calculate it for you 🙂
Jane says
Hi Sophie,
I have just made this essene bread with spelt. It was a perfect recipe and is utterly delish. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Sophie says
So happy you enjoyed it, Jane 🙂
Stephanie says
Thanks for this recipe! I love manna bread but recently moved to a smaller town and can't really find it anymore. I'm gearing up to try your recipe soon. Do you think I could sub buckwheat berries in for the wheat?
Sophie says
Yay, so happy you found the recipe. I haven't tried buckwheat, so I am not sure it will work. If you want a buckwheat loaf, I recommend this recipe.http://box5531.temp.domains/~wholehk3//2016/06/unbelievable-buckwheat-bread/
Kyla says
Stephanie, if you are in Canada I can recommend ordering sprouting seeds, including several wheat varieties, from Mumm's Sprouting Seeds, a company based out of Saskatchewan. They are organic, and shipping is free if you spend $25.
Natasha says
This looks amazing!
I used Anita's sprouted while wheat flour to make my foccacia bread and after letting it sit for a couple of hours it gets sticky and galls apart.
Should I be mixing it with another type of sprouted flour alternative?
Gretchen Emery says
Hi Sophie,
Thanks so much for this recipe and your site- I love it!!! I am making this for the first time and wondering if I soaked the wheat berries too long (around 24 hrs). Since then I’ve been following your directions (rinsing twice a day and draining for 2 full days now). I don’t see any sprouts yet. It’s super hot here in the East coast and the a/c is cranked up! Could the a/c be causing the sprout delay, or oversoaking? I’ve also tried to sprout some Farro, but also no sprouts yet (although the Farro still appears whole, not “puffy” like the super-soaked wheat berries). Finally, if these don’t sprout can I still use them in this recipe
or something else?
Thanks for your help!
Gretchen
Sophie says
Hi Gretchen, from my experience 24 hours shouldn't be too long. For a grain to sprout, you want to make sure it still has the endosperm and bran on it, otherwise, it won't germinate. I am not sure if Farro does still have this (I know barley and other grains don't) That might be worth checking. But, yes, so long as the grain is soft and puffy you can use it. I don't think the AC will be a factor.
hope that helps, Sophie
Sofia says
Seriously amazing. Full of flavour, moist and wholesome. Added a cup of green lentils and half a cup of quinoa - all sprouted too. Really delicious and the kids love to snack on it with a drizzle of honey on top. Thank you!
Sophie says
Love these additions! So happy you and your family enjoy the loaf 🙂
Samantha says
Can I use Farrow or barley to sprout?
Sophie says
I haven't tried it, but I am sure that would work 🙂
Carmelina Fauteux says
I can't wait to make this bread. I used to buy it at a local health food store, but they don't carry it anymore. I found the company on line . Shipping in exhorbantly costly, 50.00. to 100.00, the bread is frozen and not packed with dry ice, there is no guarantee it will arrive in time to be edible. Thank you for this recipe, I have been craving this bread for a long time.
Jill says
Back in the early 80's, when I was young and living in a cabin with no electricity, I bought Essene bread from the food coop, and loved it. I think it had raisins and caraway and flax seeds in it. After that I used to make it and grind it up with a meat grinder. I am just now making it for the first time in decades. I think Essene turned into Manna bread. I wasn't able to find an ingredient list for the one I ate back then, but it was delicious.