Some Things I've Learned About Wheat and Natural Yeast

This is a hard blog to post because I don't know how to convey everything I've learned about wheat and natural yeast in a simple blog post. There are books about these things. But there are some things that I've learned that I feel are important enough to try to share. I will try to post links to sites or give the name of books that provide more information.

First of all, in my journey to find the best flour to feed my little yeast sample I went to a kitchen store. They told me I needed to use unbleached, unbromated flour. I had no idea what that meant but I said ok and went home and did my research. If you check the first link you will learn that all flour is bleached through a chlorine gas bath that was held unfit for human consumption back in 1910 but the ban was never enforced. The chlorine combines with proteins in the flour to produce Alloxan which is a known carcinogen and has been known to induce diabetes in lab rats. It has not been proven safe for humans.

Here is a quote from the first article about bromated flour:

"Bromated flour has been treated with potassium bromate to improve dough elasticity, allow it to stand up to commercial baking practices, and produce a higher rising bread. Potassium bromate is a potential carcinogen that may be harmful when consumed and is outlawed in the U.K. It has been associated with thyroid dysfunction. Some states but not all require that potassium bromate be disclosed on food labels."

Next in my journey I learned about wheat. I learned that wheat berries (the grains) are full of nutrients such as calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium and phosphate. But wheat has a self preservation mechanism called Phytic Acid. The role of phytic acid is to not release any of the nutrients in the wheat until an enzyme called Phytase is present. Phytase essentially convinces the wheat that it's been planted and it is free to release the nutrients it has been storing. When wheat is ground into flour some of the chains of phytic acid are broken and some nutrients are released. Here is an interesting quote from the book The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast,

"While the wheat flour moves through our digestive tract, phytic acid panics and runs around snatching up all nutrients that fit the description of the ones he was holding on to.... He does such a good job that he snatches up nutrients from other foods we've been eating. We never even realize we've been robbed." Or do we? How many of us are nutrient deprived and feel it in many different ways from sleep deprivation, to lack of energy, to chronic illness?

So how do we get phytic acid to release the nutrients in wheat? I'm going to quote the book again.

We use natural yeast  to "trick" phytase into thinking the seed has been planted and it's time for the nutrients to go to work. This is because natural yeast starters are acidic, low in PH, and moist - just like soil.

When we work our starter into a dough, phytase recognizes the change in environment and gives the all clear for nutrients to be released. On the average, this process takes at least six hours, as the starter reproduces and spreads throughout the dough, neutralizing the phytic acid as it goes.

... Once phytic acid has completed his assignment, he gets a new one. He runs around with his empty chains and snatches up cancer-causing free-radicals. So the good stuff gets to us, and the bad gets carried out.

In our effort to make our lives easier, faster, and more efficient we have robbed ourselves of the processes necessary to digest foods and absorb the vital nutrients therein. It's not completely our fault. Science and innovation have made mass producing breadmakers rich and huge corporations don't really care about what you eat and how it affects you.

But I believe God does.

Natural yeast is all around us. It is in the air we breathe and settles on the foods we eat. The white chalky stuff on grapes is Yeast! There are many websites that show how to make yeast from apples, potatoes, and many other fruits and vegetables. This is where everything clicked for me. Wheat is for man and I can eat it if I make it the way God intended it to be made.

I read another amazing book, Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads. He uses a two day process to make his whole grain breads because he discovered that if he soaks his dough and his yeast overnight, the flavors are greatly enhanced. Although, he does these separately and combines them in the morning and adds instant yeast later to help with the rise. I think he was on to the right idea. It is important to let your dough set for several hours 6 to 12 in order for the yeast to work through and for phytase to unlock the nutrients. At least, this is how I've been doing it and I feel great. It is not convenient but it is still inexpensive and relatively simple (once you get the overall concept down).

One more thing about whole wheat. There are three parts to a wheat berry; the Endosperm, the Bran and the Germ. Modern day milling discards the bran and the germ leaving us with a white flour that is mostly starch (sugar) and protein. Wheat bran has some essential nutrients like soluble and insoluble fiber which help to lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar, help slow digestion for better nutrient absorption, control the PH balance of the intestines, move food through the intestines, regulate bowel movements and pull toxins from the body. The wheat germ contains vitamin E, phytic acid, and folate (folic acid). Although small, it is packed with the nutrients the wheat berry needs to start new life. Don't forget that phytic acid isn't the enemy. We need it to help remove those free-radicals.

Whole wheat flour is essential to a healthy diet. But don't give in to the temptation to buy whole grain bread at the store. Just because it says it is whole grain doesn't guarantee it is made with 100% whole wheat. Most people would have belly aches trying to digest whole wheat bread without natural yeast and the overnight Soak (letting the dough rise).

I prefer to grind my own wheat. It allows me to store large amounts of wheat at a low cost (a 50lb bag is only $17) and to grind other grains to use in my flours. But mostly it is because within 24 hours of being milled whole wheat flour loses as much as 45 percent of its nutrients to oxidation. And in only three days, 90 percent of the nutrients are lost.

There are many kinds of wheats and grains. Here is a brief explanation of a few. Peter Reinhart's book has a great explanation of all the grains. But this is what I needed to know to get started.

Hard winter red wheat: most of the wheat in the US comes from this. It is high in protein and used mostly in all purpose flour and bread flour. It has a robust, almost bitter flavor that some people love.

Hard spring red wheat: has the same flavor profile but is one of the hardest wheats and thus has the highest amount of protein.

Hard white winter wheat: sweeter and lighter in color with a protein profile similar to hard winter red wheat. It is increasing in popularity due to it's gentler flavor. (I use hard spring white wheat).

Soft winter red wheat: lower in protein making it better for pastries

Soft spring white wheat: also lower in protein but has a slightly sweeter flavor. Also good for making pastries.

Some of the other grains available for making bread are: Durum Wheat, Einkorn, Emmer, Kamut, Spelt, Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat (which is actually a plant related to rhubarb and not a wheat), Cassava, Corn, Millet, Oats, Potato Starch, Quinoa, Rice, Rye, Sorghum, Teff, Triticale, and Wild Rice. Who knew?

This experience has been a real adventure to me. I have learned so much and know there is still so much more I want to learn. I will try to keep sharing.