If you haven’t eaten buckwheat yet, it’s time for you to get up close and personal with this unassuming superhero. Although it’s usually cooked as a grain, it’s actually the seed of a plant in the rhubarb family. It’s naturally gluten-free; a good source of resistant starch, which feeds our beneficial gut bacteria; and is also rich in bioflavonoids, which strengthen the walls of small blood vessels.
And it’s incredibly versatile – you can cook it like rice, soak it and blend it into a delicious raw ‘porridge’ (see my Choc-Berry Buckwheat Pudding and Buckwheat Breakfast Parfait recipes) or, as in this recipe, activate it through soaking and fermenting. I got the idea for baking fermented buckwheat bread from the wonderful Nutriplanet blog.
Last week I made a savoury version using sunflower seeds, pepitas, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil from my garden. This week it was time for a sweeter version – like the raisin toast I enjoyed as a child, but healthier.
Ingredients:
430 g raw buckwheat groats
300 ml water + additional water for soaking buckwheat
1/4 cup diced pitted dates
1/4 cup diced dried figs
1/4 cup diced dried apricots
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
Method:
Place buckwheat groats in a large bowl, add water to cover well and soak overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
Tip soaked groats into a large strainer or colander, rinse thoroughly and allow to drain for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a food processor or high-powered blender, add 300 ml water and blend on low speed until smooth.
Tip the batter back into the bowl (ensure you’re using a glass or ceramic bowl, not metal), cover with a clean cloth, and leave in a warm place (e.g. oven set to 35°C, or in a multicooker on yoghurt setting) for 7-10 hours. The batter should rise and small bubbles will appear in it as it begins to ferment.
Using a wooden or plastic spoon, stir in the dried fruit and spices. Do not overmix.
Tip batter into a loaf tin lined with baking paper and return it to the warm place to rise for another 2-3 hours.
To bake, place the bread in the oven while heating it to 175°C, then set the oven timer for 1 hour.
Remove the bread from the tin, place on paper towels, and allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Best eaten warm from the oven, or toasted and served with tahini or nut spread and a sugar-free fruit spread. The loaf can be sliced, frozen, and reheated or toasted as required.
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