Fruit Kefir From Water Kefir Grains Used As Acidic Medium In Soaked Flour Bread Recipe

by Julie

I found your article about soaking seeds and soaking flour very interesting. Little did I know I was soaking my flour, and getting some soaked flour benefits, during my bread machine breadmaking.

All my recipes contain water, but one day I decided to use up some fruit kefir, made from water kefir grains, in my homemade bread machine recipe. I wanted to substitute liquid fruit kefir in place of just regular water. I make my own bread (well, my breadmaker machine does!!) and one day I just wanted to use up some fruit kefir that I had in the fridge for about a week.

When I make homemade bread in the bread machine, I place the liquids in the bread machine tin first, then I put in the whole wheat flour, and finally the yeast on top of the flour.

So some of the flour is in contact with the water - much like your soaking of the flour. I usually put the ingredients in the tin the night before the morning I want my warm bread to be made, according to the time I set my delayed program.

During that overnight period, the whole wheat flour remains in contact with the fruit kefir water all night, for about 8-11 hours, until the following morning when the machine automatically heats up the water, mixes everything thoroughly together, kneads and finally cooks the bread.

The following morning my bread had risen more than usual. Some of the flour, the flour that was in contact with the fruit kefir for some 8-11 hours before the thorough mixing started, had effectively soaked into the water kefir! I happened on this by chance!

I think this is very similar to your "soaking flour" directions. I have been making soaked flour bread for years without knowing it - just without that more beneficial soaking medium!! Now with the fruit kefir, I am using the acid medium soaking solution too. I did not even know the benefits of soaking flour that I was achieving through this process.

Fruit kefir made from water kefir grains, being acidic, probably works in much the same way as the acid medium vinegar. In any case, the bread rose better than usual. I also often use kombucha tea instead of plain water and the bread seems to rise better too! Both liquid fruit kefir and kombucha are acidic, I believe, so this gives weight to your argument!

I wanted to know if you have ever tried using kombucha in place of the water?

Food for thought!!

Julie