Sprouted wheat
What is sprouted wheat?
This really is the most commonly asked question from customers from coast to coast. Our sprouted breads, bagels, buns, pizzas, and tortillas are truly unique in that they are made with “sprouted wheat” as opposed to wheat flour. Most bakeries get up in the morning, open a bag of flour and make bread. At Alvarado Street Bakery, we take whole, organic wheat berries and soak them in filtered water until they “sprout”, until they actually begin to grow. When the water has been drained, we grind the “living sprouts” into dough. Add a little fresh yeast, some sea salt and a bit of sweetness (local honey, organic raisins, organic dates, pure barley malt) and there you have it, the ultimate bread!
The concept of baking bread with sprouted grains is not a new idea. In fact, it dates back to biblical times when sprouted spelt (what we now know as wheat) was combined with sprouted lentil beans and sprouted soybeans. The sprouting process naturally converts starchy grains into easily digested maltose and other complex sugars. There is an enzyme created during germination that beings to “pre-digest” the grains, thus, making the grains and their nutrients and vitamins more readily assimilated. The addition of the sprouted legumes provided the essential amino acids necessary for a complete protein. This mixture was then crushed, formed into ovals and slow-baked. Centuries later, it’s basically the same.