Why Use Vinegar When Soaking Flour For Homemade Bread?

Rating

Vinegar Is My Favorite Acidic Medium Choice When Soaking Flour For Homemade Bread
by: Eryn Paige

Hi Rachael,

The ratios for using any acidic medium in your soaking flour mixture for your whole grain homemade bread recipe, in this case vinegar as your selected acidic medium, would be as follows: About 1 cup flour to 1 Tablespoon vinegar, or 1 cup grain to 2 Tablespoons vinegar, or 1 cup water to 1 Tablespoon vinegar.

You can pick whichever ratio from above works for you.

You can choose any of the acidic mediums for soaking your whole grain flour.

1. Buttermilk
2. Yogurt
3. Cultured milk
4. Whey
5. Lemon juice
6. Vinegar

The acidic medium contains friendly bacteria such as lactobacilli, enzymes and other beneficial organisms that break down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. This warm acidic water also activates the enzyme phytase which also then neutralizes the phytic acid in the grain.

Your grains are being pre-digested with the enzymes from your acidic medium choice plus newly created enzymes released from your flour in this soaking process. These powerhouse enzymes ease the work your digestion and pancreas must do to boot.

The final "show stopper" is that the action of these enzymes also increases the amounts of many vitamins in your mixture! Let the baking begin!

There is more information on benefits of soaking grains and flour here.

So you really can experiment and use your preferred acidic medium choice. I like vinegar the best. The buttermilk, yogurt and cultured milk can make the bread really heavy and hard to rise, in my experience.

I have not made the bread with whey. That might work real well, plus it is more flavorless.

I just always seem to have my Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar on hand. Plus Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, used raw apple cider vinegar for its excellent natural cleaning, healing and energizing qualities.

If you make some homemade bread with a different acidic medium, let me know how it turns out for you.

OK, your soaking mixture is a bit gray. Hmmm, there was one study that mentioned the friendly bacteria in the acidic medium also prevents unfriendly bacteria in the incubating mixture from forming.

Personally, I would just scrape off that questionable gray layer. Look to my ratios to make sure you put the recommended amount of acidic medium in your soaking mixture.

Also, you just had the flour, plus water, plus acidic medium, in your soaking mixture, right? And you did not put the salt in your soaking mixture, correct? Always add the salt after you have soaked your mixture.

OK, so do use organic and raw apple cider vinegar - not the pasteurized apple cider vinegar. You want all those live enzymes in your raw, non-pasteurized vinegar.

Alright and finally, yes just soak you precious flour at room temperature. In colder temperatures, the soaking process is slowed down. And the soaking process is sped up in warmer temperatures.

Hope that helps,

Eryn

X Close Editor

Rating

Submitted by: Eryn Paige

Title

Comment
Hi Rachael, The ratios for using any acidic medium in your soaking flour mixture for your whole grain homemade bread recipe, in this case vinegar as your selected acidic medium, would be as follows: About 1 cup flour to 1 Tablespoon vinegar, or 1 cup grain to 2 Tablespoons vinegar, or 1 cup water to 1 Tablespoon vinegar. You can pick whichever ratio from above works for you. You can choose any of the acidic mediums for soaking your whole grain flour. 1. Buttermilk 2. Yogurt 3. Cultured milk 4. Whey 5. Lemon juice 6. Vinegar The acidic medium contains friendly bacteria such as lactobacilli, enzymes and other beneficial organisms that break down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. This warm acidic water also activates the enzyme phytase which also then neutralizes the phytic acid in the grain. Your grains are being pre-digested with the enzymes from your acidic medium choice plus newly created enzymes released from your flour in this soaking process. These powerhouse enzymes ease the work your digestion and pancreas must do to boot. The final "show stopper" is that the action of these enzymes also increases the amounts of many vitamins in your mixture! Let the baking begin! There is more information on <a href="http://www.healthbanquet.com/soaking-grains.html">benefits of soaking grains and flour here</a>. So you really can experiment and use your preferred acidic medium choice. I like vinegar the best. The buttermilk, yogurt and cultured milk can make the bread really heavy and hard to rise, in my experience. I have not made the bread with whey. That might work real well, plus it is more flavorless. I just always seem to have my Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar on hand. Plus Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, used raw apple cider vinegar for its excellent natural cleaning, healing and energizing qualities. If you make some homemade bread with a different acidic medium, let me know how it turns out for you. OK, your soaking mixture is a bit gray. Hmmm, there was one study that mentioned the friendly bacteria in the acidic medium also prevents unfriendly bacteria in the incubating mixture from forming. Personally, I would just scrape off that questionable gray layer. Look to my ratios to make sure you put the recommended amount of acidic medium in your soaking mixture. Also, you just had the flour, plus water, plus acidic medium, in your soaking mixture, right? And you did not put the salt in your soaking mixture, correct? Always add the salt <b>after</b> you have soaked your mixture. OK, so do use organic and raw apple cider vinegar - not the pasteurized apple cider vinegar. You want all those live enzymes in your raw, non-pasteurized vinegar. Alright and finally, yes just soak you precious flour at room temperature. In colder temperatures, the soaking process is slowed down. And the soaking process is sped up in warmer temperatures. Hope that helps, Eryn

Cancel Delete Delete & Ban

throbber Updating Comments page...

Why Use Vinegar When Soaking Flour For Homemade Bread?

Comments for Why Use Vinegar When Soaking Flour For Homemade Bread?

Comments for
Why Use Vinegar When Soaking Flour For Homemade Bread?