I’ve never made sourdough bread before. I’ve always thought minding a sourdough “starter” or “mother” seems like a big faff and I’m a more lackadaisical cook. I never found a good recipe – until now. Ever since I had to go gluten-free the one bread I really missed was good brown sourdough (usually rye). Huge gratitude to Sarah Cobacho for posting this online. Thank you SO much, Sarah!
This recipe uses the natural microscopic airborne yeasts and bacteria in the air all around you to start colonising and putting carbon dioxide into the mix. This is what rises the bread. Yes, true sourdough never, ever contains yeast or bread soda. The inside of this bread will not be dried out like normal bread but will retain moisture, just like a regular rye sourdough. Only this is gluten-free!
500 g hulled buckwheat kernels (Please note: It is important to use HULLED and whole BUCKWHEAT. You will not get good results with flour, unhulled (black), or roasted buckwheat.)
200 ml water
¼ tsp Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt
2 tsp poppy or sesame seeds (optional)
2 lb loaf tin and silicon/greaseproof paper to line
A little olive oil to grease the tin (optional)
1.Rinse the 500g of hulled buckwheat kernels under cold water until the water runs clear. This ensures that any dust or impurities are removed.
2.Transfer the rinsed buckwheat to a large bowl. Cover the kernels with cold water, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it sit overnight. This soaking process initiates the fermentation which is key to this gluten-free buckwheat bread.
3.The next day, drain (do not rinse) and transfer to a blender with 200ml water and salt. Blend, starting at low speed and slowly increasing.
4.Pour the blended buckwheat mixture back into the bowl. Cover it again and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. This resting period allows the fermentation to continue, developing the unique flavor of the loaf.
5.When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 180C. While the oven is heating, prepare a loaf pan by lining it with baking paper. I like to brush paper and tin with a little olive oil for easier removal but its not essential. Perhaps I am micro-managing the bread!!
6.Pour the fermented buckwheat dough into the prepared loaf pan. If you’d like, sprinkle the top with 2 tsp of poppy and sesame seeds for an added crunch and visual appeal.
7.Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 90 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and firm to the touch.
8.Allow the bread to cool down before slicing. This makes it easier to cut and improves the texture. Now, enjoy your homemade, healthy buckwheat bread! Keeps 4-5 days in in an airtight container or else slice and freeze for up to a month. Prize off a slice or two to pop in the toaster when you feel like it.
Why this is good for you:
Buckwheat is a massive source of a polyphenol called rutin. Rutin turbo-charges the strength of connective tissue, cartilage, bones, blood vessels and skin. I would always include either a rutin supplement or foods rich in rutin in any tissue/bone/skin rebuilding programme. Also helps prevent skin sagging (wrinkles!). Buckwheat also contains potassium, magnesium and calcium for healthy bones.
Sourdough fermentation makes ALL grains hugely more digestible. All grains, even gluten-free ones, contain lectins. Lectins are plant proteins designed to protect the plants babies (seeds) from being digested by predators. So these lectins disable your digestive proteases (enzymes). This causes irritation in the gut. By fermenting the buckwheat you get rid of almost all lectins.
FAQ
Can I use buckwheat flour instead of hulled buckwheat kernels? For this specific recipe, it’s recommended to use hulled buckwheat kernels rather than buckwheat flour. The process of soaking and fermenting the kernels contributes to the unique texture and flavour of the bread. Using buckwheat flour would not yield the same results. Personally I’ve never seen un-hulled buckwheat groats (which are black and inedible) for sale. Hulled are a green/light brown colour and pretty much every health store sells them.