The Fresh Loaf

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how to add whole buckwheat groats, toasted or raw, to bread?

katyajini's picture
katyajini

how to add whole buckwheat groats, toasted or raw, to bread?

Hi friends,

I have some raw and some toasted whole buckwheat groats.  What is a good way to incorporated them into leavened bread for good flavor, taste and texture?  I have never prepared anything with buckwheat, only have enjoyed soba noodles.

Would you just knead them in like oatmeal? Soak then extensively like steel cut oats? Or cook to chewy tender like wheat berries? As a note for my preference, I have found that just soaking wheat berries or oat groats and adding to the dough does not work for me. Its not that I don't like crunchy, I love crunchy, but I think these whole grains don't get cooked through by the time the bread is baked and its not quite digestible or that tasty. Cooking them works better.

I have only one reference. Rose Levy Beranbaum's ten grain torpedo. Here she uses a mixture of ten grains one of these being toasted buckwheat groats.   She simply soaks the mixture of grains in cold water overnight.

You know, for most part, some additions to bread just work...like sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, and so on, you know what I mean.  How do you feel buckwheat groats, the toasted or the raw versions work for bread?

Thank you so much!

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

a "green" taste.  Toss some between your gums and taste.  

You can toast some on medium heat in a naked frying pan stirring constantly  and see how you like them toasted.  

Up to you.

Lazy Loafer's picture
Lazy Loafer

In my experience, they cook down to mush and disappear into the bread, so I wouldn't cook them first. Toasting is probably nice. I also use whole buckwheat flour in some breads which gives the flavour and adds nice little black flecks to the dough.

katyajini's picture
katyajini

Hi! Thank you Mini and Lazy Loafer.  So, just add toasted buckwheat groats to the dough, like nuts or oatmeal, without soaking?  

I just made a pain de campagne type of bread with a touch of whole grain buckwheat flour.  It does work out nicely like you say LL.

the hadster's picture
the hadster

as part of a soaker.

I love buckwheat and have been exploring ways to incorporate it.  Thus far, my favorite is to sprout it, dry it, and then grind it into flour.  I found some sprouted buckwheat flour and have loved what it does to bread.  So, next up is to let the sprouting process continue a bit.  Once it's sprouted, I'll crush it a bit and add it to my soaker.

Have fun!

Yumika's picture
Yumika

 Sourdough bread with chia seeds and buckwheat groats

 Preferment ingredients

 120 g bread flour

 220 g water

   25 g rye sourdough starter, 100% hydration

   30 g chia seeds

   45 g hulled buckwheat groats, toasted in frying pan

   Bread ingredients

  100 g whole wheat flour

  260 g bread flour

  175 g water

  1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

  9 g sea salt

  Method

  Day 1

  Mix the ingredients for the preferment in a bowl. Cover and leave overnight at room temperature.

  Day 2

  Put the preferment in your stand mixer.

  Mix the bread and whole wheat flour with the instant yeast in a separate bowl and add that to the   preferment in the mixer.

 Pour in the water and mix on LOW for a minute or two.

 Autolyse for 20-30 minutes.

 Add the salt and knead for 4-5 minutes. Leave dough in mixer bowl 40-50 minutes.

 Do two S+F 40-50 minutes apart, preferably on a flat surface and place dough in a large bowl.

 After the second S+F wait another 40-50 minutes.

 Shape and place dough in a banneton for about 2-3 hours. This time depends on the ambient temperature and then of course the temperature of the dough.

 Preheat oven and bake on an oven stone for 45 minutes at 220 C, of which 15 minutes with steam. The result will be a delicious bread full of flavor that wil make your day!