Updated: January 20th, 2022
Disclaimer: I picked up the concept of turning buckwheat groats into a dough. It was originally used for flatbreads. Here’s my approach to turn them into pretty bread loafs instead. 🥖
Buckwheat, the pseudo-cereal, has never crossed my path until my early thirties. And even though I like their taste in cooked dishes or porridge: Ever since I’ve learned how to bake using whole buckwheat groats, they pretty much always end up in the oven instead of a pot.
This simple gluten-free dough concept acts as a base for my versions of buckwheat bread and buckwheat chocolate banana bread. You can get really creative with this. Let me know what delicious vegan creations you came up with!
Viva la fermentation ✨
The reason the bread will end up having air pockets is pretty simple: Fermentation.
Similar to working with sourdough, we will have moments during the preparation phase where we let the dough rest. This gives organisms in our air and on the groats themselves time to get cosy and multiply.
Note: The room temperature has a huge impact on fermentation processes. My experiments have mainly be done between ~15 and 25 degrees Celsius. See how it works for your environment or drop me a line if you have questions.
Simple schedule ideas 🕙
Depending on your day structure and preferred baking time, choose when you want to start the process. Here are a couple if simple schedules:
| Day 1 | Day 2 | |
| Schedule 1 | Evening: Soak groats | Morning: Blend groats Evening: Bake |
| Schedule 2 | Morning: Soak groats Evening: Blend groats | Morning: Bake |
What type of buckwheat to get
So far, all buckwheat groat products I bought worked. Except the one I purchased at Coop in Switzerland. I haven’t figured out why exactly. The only thing I’ve noticed is that it’s darker in colour (darker brown). The problem is that it behaves differently when soaking (soaks and expands much quicker/more) and it doesn’t hold together well when baked. So should yours really don’t hold together, try another brand. And use that failed attempt for a stir fry or be creative.
Alright. Let’s get soaking!
Buckwheat Groat Dough
15
minutesmin. ~10
hoursIngredients
500g whole buckwheat groats
700ml water
2 tbsp ground flaxseed (or 2 tsp psyllium husk)
Directions
- Pour buckwheat groats and water into a bowl and let them soak overnight.
Hint: This kickstarts the fermentation process. - Rinse groats with a strainer (don’t wash) and pour them back into the bowl.
- Add ground flaxseed (or psyllium husk).
- Blend until ~3/4 of the groats are mixed (maximum).
Hint: I prefer using a hand blender, but a blender works, too. Just make sure not to over-blend it, as this can reduce the dough’s rising abilities. - Let dough rest overnight or whilst you’re out during the day.
Hint: This helps the ground flaxseed (or psyllium husk) to develop their slimy binding qualities and further ferments the dough, leading to a better rise. - That’s it, we now have the foundation to bake the buckwheat bread or buckwheat chocolate banana bread!
Notes
- This simple gluten-free dough concept acts as a base for my versions of buckwheat bread and buckwheat chocolate banana bread. Get creative with this!
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