Valerie Baer - Baking with Whole Grains: Recipes, Tips, and Tricks for Baking Cookies, Cakes, Scones, Pies, Pizza, Breads, and More!

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Cover and book design by Cliff Snyder Print ISBN: 978-1-68099-067-6 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-68099-113-0 Contents Introduction W hen I was growing up, my family always had a garden. We tried to eat healthywe took that for granted, although we werent experts on nutrition. We just ate whatever was in season in the garden, and we ate what we preserved from our garden the rest of the year. It was delicious, and we loved the food, but I must say, it all seemed very ordinary. My dad was a reader, and I remember that he became very sensitive to the fact that our daily choices now will affect many people besides ourselves, including our children and grandchildren. He and my mom instilled in all of us that people and our environment are damaged if we arent careful.

We werent saints. But we were taught to live responsibly when we were little. My dad continued to influence me, even after I was grown up. I can bring back a moment about thirty years ago after I had my first child. We were sitting together and talking, and he noticed a plastic milk jug that was sitting nearby. You know, he said, that will still be around 500 years from now.

It was a light bulb moment for me. Even now I make our own pancake syrup because store-bought syrup comes in plastic bottles. Even though a garden was always part of my life, I didnt love gardening! But as our children grew older and I had more time, I began to discover the fun (and frustration) of raising our own food. For the most part, I enjoy growing and preserving a good portion of the food that we eat now. My mom still gardens at age eighty. She recently told me, I sit down to a meal and I think, I grew most of this myself! Occasionally we have our neighboring farmer plant soft grain wheat on a parcel of our land.

In exchange, we get to dip a few years supply of grain from the harvesters storage bin. The wheat needs to be washed, dried, and frozen for a week or two in order to store it long-term. I love grinding it as I need it for baking. I was twelve or thirteen when our aunt introduced us to baking our own whole grain bread. Suddenly it was clear that white flour has the best parts taken out of it. I helped make our familys breadand I became really interested in using the whole of everything whenever I could.

Baking yeast breads went well for me, but I didnt do so well at working whole grains into pancakes and waffles and other non-yeast baked things. Then one day, my sister Carmen started grinding her own soft wheat. And when she used it in her baked goods, the results were wonderful! She helped me begin to crack open some of the mysteries about which flours to use for which kinds of baked goods. Suddenly everything we baked with the soft grain was lighter than what we had made before. And I wasnt getting gripes about my baked things being too heavy. Now on Sunday evenings, when our kids all come home, what do they want me to make? Whole wheat waffles, topped with homemade yogurt or fruit, fresh or frozen, depending on the time of year.

Sometimes we add canned fruit, applesauce, or nuts. My little granddaughter, who eats mostly whole grain foods, stayed overnight at a friends house. The next day when she got home she told her mother that they had smooth pancakes for breakfast. They put in water and poured it out of a bowl! When I was little, we ate mostly white bread until the early-mid 1970s, when our aunt got us started using whole grains. After several years of eating whole grain bread, one of my sisters was given a piece of soft, white, store-bought bread. We all crowded around and marveled at the pure whiteness and soft, smooth texture of the bread.

We each got a taste until it was gone. But we quickly agreed that we had no desire to go back to white bread. All five of us have been making whole grain bread ever since. So here is the collection of my favorite whole grain recipes. Ive indicated which flours to use with each recipe to get the best results. Using the right flours makes such a big difference in the outcome when youre working with whole grains.

And I want you to have success making this delicious goodness for yourselves. Life for me is such an adventure. Im constantly learning. When I cook and bake, Im always experimenting and changing recipes as I go. So take this collection of whole grain recipes and think of them as a starting point. Dont miss my tips.

Im just trying to pass along what Ive learned since we arent sharing the same kitchen. Discover for yourself the great satisfaction of baking whole grain breads, pies, cookies, scones, crackersthe list is almost endlessand sharing them with your family and friends! About the Grains Used in This Book L et me tell you about the grains that I use most often in my everyday baking. Of course many other grains are available, each one containing its own set of nutrients. Experiment with using whatever grains youre drawn to as you become comfortable with whole grain baking. The simple rustic appearance, full flavor, and grainy feel of whole grains is something that you grow to appreciate. Baking with non-enriched, whole grain flours never produces a smooth, light, super-high loft outcome that is characteristic of all-white-flour baked goods.

Be patient with those who need a little time to learn to enjoy whole grains taste and texture! I hope that as you try recipes in this book, youll become confident about adding whole grains to your own favorite recipes. You can use whole grain flour to make almost any baked goods. You just have to learn which flour will work bestand how much to use. Read my grain descriptions closely, and then use the flour or combination of flours most suitable for what you are making. In most of the recipes in this book I use at least half whole grains, along with some white flour. Use more or less, according to your own personal tastes and preferences.