Gluten-Free Sourdough Flatbread

Many people are choosing to avoid wheat and gluten now days and for good reasons. Grass seeds/grains such as wheat, barley, spelt, rye and brown rice all contain several natural and unnatural chemicals which can be mild to moderately toxic for most people. Many grains contain high amounts of gluten. Allergic reactions to gluten are more common than some may realize. Symptoms can range from severe to hardly noticeable. I suggest trying a wheat-free or even grain-free diet for 1-2 weeks or longer to see if you notice a change in your health. Some allergic symptoms tend to be overlooked and can include: occasional or frequent and include sinus congestion, shortness of breath, mild skin rashes, blurred vision, constipation and mucus in stool.
**Please read below**
Some gluten-free breads can still be pretty rough on the digestive system. Bean based flours such as garbanzo, are also milled in their raw state, uncooked - not a good idea for sensitive stomachs. All whole grains, most seeds and nuts contain natural enzyme inhibitors in their hull/shell/husk/bran that can be significantly reduced when soaked and rinsed and nearly eliminated by fermentation. Some so-called gluten-free grains actually contain trace amounts of gluten. Fermentation can reduce and almost eliminate gluten as it is eaten by the yeasts and bacteria and converted into digestible sugars and proteins. So instead of making bread from raw flour, the directions are to soak, rinse, sprout and ferment the ingredients. These extra steps takes more prep. time but I assure you - its worth it. You can also use left-over cooked grains and legumes (though starting with raw produces a healthier ferment) and even certain pre-made flours. This bread can also be used as a wrap or sourdough pizza crust! Simply add toppings and but back in oven for a few minutes. Enjoy the journey and the goal!

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw or 2 cups cooked millet and/or rice and/or quinoa
• 3/4 cup raw or 1 1/2 cup cooked old-world legume: lentils, dal, split pea, chickpea or mung bean
• Optional: 1/4 cup fenugreek seeds
• Binder: 1/4 - 1/3 cup ground flax or chia or 2 egg whites
• Starter culture: 3/4 cup plain yogurt or active whey, 1 tsp yogurt starter or probiotic capsule
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Fat: 1/4 cup coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, butter or lard from a good source. Do not use margarine or vegetable shortening as they contain hydrogenated fats (not food).
• Optional: to thicken batter: coconut or almond flour
• Optional: to thin batter: warm raw dairy milk, nut milk or water
• Optional: spices if desired. I like caraway and fennel, garlic and italian herbs or indian spices like cumin, cardamom, coriander, curry, etc. Nutritional yeast adds a cheese-like flavor.
• High powered blender or food processor such as a Vitamix or Cuisinart.
• 1-2 large flat baking pans or pizza stone
• Parchment paper
• Large bowl (glass, stainless, ceramic, not plastic)

Day One

1. Place grains and legumes in large jar or bowl and soak in 2 parts warm water  for 30 to 60 minutes. 
2. Rinse through a fine colander or sprouting lid and repeat only the second time use room temp. water and allow to soak for 6-10 hours or over night. Be sure to cover to prevent critters from getting in.

Day Two

1. In the morning, rinse again and set in colander or turn upside down in sprouting jar to allow excess water to drip out. Cover and set somewhere out of direct sunlight. The grains and legumes will start to sprout. Be sure to rinse them at least 2 times during the day. Allow to sprout for 3-12 hours. You can prepare the dough today or wait til tomorrow. Sprouting them longer makes them more digestible and nutritious but it is not necessary.
2. If starting with pre-cooked ingredients, begin here. Process sprouted or cooked grains and legumes with flax or chia and starter culture in the blender. Add warm milk or water as needed to create a thick waffle-like batter.
3. The batter should be just barely thin enough to pour and spread, slightly thicker than typical pancake batter. If thickening is needed, add coconut or almond flour. If these are not available, rice or potato flour will do the trick. Pour out batter into large bowl. Scrape out any remaining batter with a spatula.
4. Place in a warm place such as an oven with pilot light (temperature not to exceed 120 deg F) for 2-6 hours or until ready to prepare dinner. Dough will rise and become sour. You can allow to ferment longer at room temperature, until the next day if desired. To do this, you'll need to give the culture a little more to eat by adding some more rice or potato flour. This will impart more sourness and increased digestibility.
5. When you are ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 450 deg. F. Mix and fold in the fat, salt, optional spices and egg whites if using instead of flax or chia.
6. Cut parchment paper to fit the large baking pan and press paper into pan so it takes on its form. Pour half the batter into the pan, with a spatula spread thin and even. Shake the pan back and forth on the counter to even out the dough. It should be no more than 1/4 inch thick. Repeat the same for the second pan, or if you have only one pan, wait until the first one is baked.
7. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm. To make the bread crispy, turn down the heat to 350 deg and bake for 10-15 more minutes. Or to make pizza, add sauce and toppings and place back in oven for 5-10 minutes. 
8. Remove from oven and allow to rest on wire rack for a few minutes before serving. Parchment paper should peel off clean. Can also keep in oven on warm until ready to serve. Slice it up or just tear pieces off.

Serve with your favorite dips and spreads or add fillings and use like a wrap, pack it for a snack or take for a picnic. This may seem like a lot of preparation, but its quite simple to make - especially after your first run. Soaking, sprouting and fermenting can happen while you are doing errands or out and about. Double or triple the recipe and make several loafs. They can be refrigerated or frozen for later. Just heat back up in the oven or toaster and enjoy!

** The process of soaking, rinsing and fermenting will reduce but not totally remove gluten and potential toxins. If you experience severe allergic reaction to gluten or any of the ingredients in this recipe it is best to avoid them all together. Also, I do not recommend this recipe for people who experience Irritable Bowl Syndrome, allergy to yeast or candida infection.

Freshly Fermented Nuts

(Coconut Yogurt)

• Fresh Coconut with middle aged meat - thick yet soft and pliable.
• Vitamix Blender
• Starter Culture: Use a probiotic capsule, plain dairy yogurt, Yogourmet, or this vegan culture.

Blend coconut meat, water and culture into a thick and silky consistency. If the culture is thermophilic, place in oven on lowest setting or with the pilot light on for a few minutes or up to an hour making sure temperature reaches no more than 115 deg F - then turn off and let sit for several hours, no more than 12. If the culture is mesophilic, place in warm place on a shelf out of direct sunlight for 8-12 hours. Place in fridge to cool and slow the culturing.
Fruits can be added before and after culturing. Adding vanilla, almond extract and stevia adds a nice touch for sweet yogurts. Or you can go savory and add herbs and spices to make a dip. Also makes a great sourdough starter culture. I've made a wonderful coconut sour cream to use as a topping to raw vegan "cheese"cakes by making a thick coconut cream, adding more of the starter culture to the recipe and fermenting longer to produce more sourness.

Healthy Coconut Mocha Latte

This is one of my favorite drinks to blend up in the morning. It's like a creamy cafe latte, cappuccino or similar frothy coffee drink and has no coffee or caffeine. Delicious!

Combine in high powered blender:

• 1-2 Tbs coconut butter or 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 3-4 pitted dates
• 1-2 Tbs Dandy Blend
• 2 tsp cacao or carob powder
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon and/or nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla and or almond extract
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups hot water
• Optional: 1 tsp maca powder or extract
• Optional: steep fine ground chaga mushroom for 5 minutes, filter and add to blender or add chaga extract powder or tincture to blender
• Optional: for extra sweetness, 3-4 drops of liquid stevia

Gradually increase speed on blender until on highest setting until steamy and frothy. Makes about 3 servings. Optional: blend coconut milk and stevia separately and artistically pour over top of drink to get the coffee house barista effect.

I recommend this drink for folks that would like to reduce or stop using coffee.  I'll sometimes make it with an brewed herbal mix of teas such as ginko, gotu kola, dandelion, tulsi, rooibos and ginseng with little yerba mate - all of which are mildly to moderately stimulating. Just keep in mind that like coffee - yerba mate is also a powerful stimulant, diuretic and is acid forming in the body. Use in moderation and/or in small amounts.

What is Dandy Blend? My favorite instant coffee-like beverage powder. Just add hot water! Made with roasted dandelion, beet root, chicory and barley, it is caffeine-free, gluten-free, neutral pH and pre-biotic (good to take before or with probiotics) https://www.dandyblend.com/


What is Chaga? An amazing fungus that grows on birch trees. It is highly nutritious, an immune booster, anti-oxidant, adaptogenic, gastrointestinal tonifier, longevity tonic, cancer fighter, detoxifying and it tastes a bit like tea or coffee! Read article by Paul Staments

Sweet & Sourdough Ovencakes

Sweet & Sourdough Oven Cakes with
Coconut Yogurt and Blueberries

Grains are survival foods. Store them in your pantry for those seasosns and/or days when fresh foods are unavailable. eat them seldom. This recipe is all about fulfilling the craving for pancakes without using difficult to digest grains and dairy. I've used a grain out-of-season (when blueberries are in season) yet I couldn't help but complement purple cakes with blue berries. I chose millet because it is easy to digest compared many other grains. It is soaked, rinsed and sprouted then fermented for optimal digestion. Also, baking (oven cake) rather than frying (pancake) is a healthier choice. No need to burden the metabolism with a load of cooked fats. Using steamed purple sweet potatoes and beet give these cakes a violet hue. The cakes are served with fresh cultured coconut yogurt, blueberries, raw honey and mint.

Recipe

• 3 to 5 sweet potatoes or yams and 1 beet
• 1 to 1 1/2 cup forbidden rice and/or millet
• 1/3 cup liquid culture: yogurt, kefir, whey, probiotic capsule mixed with nut milk, or any bacteria and/or yeast culture of choice
• 2 to 4 eggs or 1/4 cup flax or chia seed
• 1/4 cup fat of choice: ghee, butter, coconut oil
• 1 tsp baking soda or 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp high quality sea salt
• 1 to 2 cups unsweetened dairy or nut yogurt
• 2 to 8 Tbs raw local honey or pureed dates
• 6 to10 drops liquid stevia
• 1 to 2 tsp vanilla and/or almond extract
• 2 to 4 cups fresh sweet fruit 
• Nut milk, water or whey to generate pourable consistency
• 1 to 2 tsp spices (optional): cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, all-spice, clove, carob
• parchment paper, baking sheet(s), blender, oven

Instructions

Soak, rinse and sprout millet and/or rice for 16-24 hours. Steam and mash sweet potato. Combine in high-powered blender with culture. Add flax or chia if using instead of egg. Blend with a little water, nutmilk or whey until smooth. Pour into glass bowl, cover with clean cloth or plastic wrap with small holes poked in it to allow for off-gassing. Tie with rubber band or string if needed to prevent insects and critters from getting in. Ferment in a warm place out of direct sunlight for 10-20 hours. Preheat oven to 450 degrees c. Stir in fat, baking powder and/or soda, stevia, salt, vanilla and spices. If using eggs crack them open, eat the yolks raw and whip the whites until frothy and firm. Fold into batter. It should have a thick consistency that is pourable. 

Pour batter onto large flat baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Spreading them thin will make them cook faster, thicker cakes will take longer yet stay moist - your choice. Bake in oven for 20 - 40 minutes or until just starting to brown. 

To make raw blueberry "compote":  blend together fresh blueberries, raw honey or dates, stevia and a little fresh orange juice. Mix with whole blueberries. See my coconut yogurt recipe here. 

 In ~ Joy!