Ancient Grains Bread Recipe (2024)

AuthorSteve Nubie

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I’ve been experimenting with Ancient grains lately. They’re various grains from little known plants that were often a part of our distant ancestor’s diet. They include quinoa, amaranth, Kamut, flaxseed and spelt. They have a nutty, flavorful taste. More importantly, they’re packed with proteins, amino acids, thiamin, niacin, vitamins E, A and D and have both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Better yet, they’re easy to grow and most of them are gluten-free.

Amaranth grows like a weed. It’s a tall, leafy plant on a fibrous stalk and the seeds hang down from the crown like dreadlocks. I have them planted along fences and in the back yard next to the shed.

Quinoa is similar in appearance and both amaranth and quinoa come in a variety of colors from a light, golden color to a deep burgundy. The seeds dry on the vine or stalks although you may have to battle the birds as they mature and dry out.

If you’d like to plant your own, just buy some at the store (most large grocery chains carry them in the organic, cereal or rice aisles) and sprinkle where you’d like them to grown. They grow like weeds and will spread from season to season.

Spelt is a grass and its seeds look much like wheat at the end of a stalk. Flaxseed is actually a flowering plant and the seeds are harvested from the seed buds within the flower tops. They’re a little harder to harvest than quinoa or amaranth, but they grow just as easily and spread just as fast so be careful where you plant them.

Whether you buy your ancient grains or grow them yourself, they will keep well in a sealed container for months if you keep them dry and store them in a cool, dark place like a cabinet or pantry.

This recipe calls for the direct addition of grains that have not been ground or crushed. It uses bread flour as a foundation ingredient because most ancient grains are either low in gluten or gluten free. We’ve developed recipes for gluten free bread which you can explore if you want to go that route, but for the sake of this recipe we’re going to keep the bread flour as an ingredient. You can blend as many ancient grains as you want into this recipe, just don’t exceed the total amount of ancient grains indicated in the recipe. The husks surrounding ancient grains can add a note of bitterness if over-used, but they’re a great source of fiber and contain many micro-nutrients.

You can also buy an ancient grains flour-blend in the specialty or health food aisles in your grocery store. This recipe offers you the option of using that type of flour. It also calls for a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten. You can skip that ingredient if you can’t find it but it helps with the general lack of gluten in the ancient grains.