Sourdough Buckwheat Bread

2016 has been an incredibly busy, hectic and indulgent year already. Last month alone, we celebrated Mother's Day, watched an adored family member enjoy her 2nd birthday celebrations and her first ice-cream cake. Hubby and I were honoured to watch the stunningly gorgeous Jacqui walk down the aisle to marry her beau, Dave Ogilvy. Such a beautiful wedding in every way. And currently, we are planning an epic 21st for my middle baby, after celebrating her actual day with yummy food, of course.

This past month has also had uni deadlines for me, and truck loads of final assignments for hubby. It's mandatory that chocolate accompanies such trials. 

The chocolate would have ended there. However, my favourite season, winter, turned on me, and not only rained us in, but gave me the worst ever man flu, aka: a severe cold. Had I not have had chocolate and carbs to console me, I may not have made it through. I'd like to say that being Snotty McSnot with a sore throat and swollen glands won't stop me. In reality, I may be a teensy weensy bit of a diva, especially when unwell. 

As you can imagine, with all of this, healthy eating kinda went out the window. I tried, really! Ok, not very hard. Dang it, the lure of decadent food is at times too tempting. 

As I'd like my current clothes to keep on fitting (down to size 8 jeans people!), I need to address some addictions. If I've realised anything while trying to regain health, start out by swapping, not stopping. I heart carbs. So it makes sense I eat good carbs while I'm weaning off sugary, highly processed naughty ones.

Enter my naturally fermented, 3 ingredient buckwheat bread. It's so darned healthy, good luck attempting to eat too much of this!

I found this recipe from phickle.com

SOURDOUGH BUCKWHEAT BREAD

ingredients:
2 cups (375g) hulled, whole buckwheat
1 cup water
1/2 ts salt
1/3 cup sesame seeds (optional- I used pepitas)

method:

• Rinse buckwheat, remove debris. Place into a large glass bowl, cover with water to a few cm above the buckwheat. Cover with cloth and let sit overnight.
• Drain buckwheat- Do Not Rinse. You want the slimy, fermented stuff.
• Pour into food processor with salt and nuts (or seeds) and blitz to desired consistency. I liked mine half way between smooth and lumpy.
• Pour it into the same bowl as before, cover and let it sit for 24 hrs. Yep, a whole day. It should rise slightly-not double like yeast dough.
• Pre-heat oven to 215 C.
• Place bread mix in a non stick or well greased loaf tin.
• Bake 35-40mins. It should crack on top when done and the edges will be slightly browned.
• Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.
• Slice once cooled.
• Store in the fridge- mine lasted 2 weeks, but did dry out considerably.

Fresh Sourdough Buckwheat Bread, ready to eat with avocado and tomatoes. Perfect lunch!

It's a very cakey type of bread- dense, nutritious and filling. 

Note-my loaf is pictured upside down.

The bread batter after bunging it in the processor. Even in a plastic bowl, my bread mix worked well.

There you have it, a healthy alternative to try. It does take time to prepare but is dead easy to do. No excuses, really :)

And that is all for now. Until next time, thanks for reading!