What is Ezekiel Bread?

Posted by Wen Dan Jiang on

What is Ezekiel Bread? Learn How to Make

Ezekiel Bread is a unique and somewhat rare type of bread with a complicated combination recipe. It contains barley, wheat, lentils, beans, millet, vitamins, and minerals, as well as the necessary proteins and amino acids. While most types of bread contain sugar, Ezekiel's bread does not contain a single gram. It is also made from organic, sprouted whole grains. Before moving further in detail, let's discuss the interesting history of this bread.

History of Ezekiel Bread

It is a type of bread made from sprouted grains. The discovery of this bread draws its inspiration from the history of the prophet Ezekiel. According to verse 9 of chapter 4 of the Bible, the prophet Ezekiel advised by God to bake bread from six grains, and use this during an extended stay in the desert.

Ezek 4.9 "Take for yourself wheat and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelled, and pour them into one vessel, and make yourself bread out of them, according to the number of days on which you will lie on your side; three hundred and ninety days you will eat them. "

It is interpreted that this bread offers proper nutrition. Therefore it is enough to eat all this food to maintain health. (Hornsby, 2006)

Nutrition Facts

Nutritionists are interested in this recipe; they say that it is unique that the mixture of cereals that it contains has a unique balanced composition. They have everything you need for a person to function correctly (vitamins, fats, fiber, carbohydrates). And if you remove at least one cereal, then something will be missing.

One slice (about 34 grams) of Ezekiel Bread has:

  • 80 calories
  • 3 grams of fiber
  • 80 milligrams potassium (2% DV)
  • 4 grams of protein
  • 15 grams carbohydrates
  • 0.5-grams fat
  • 0.7-milligram iron (4% DV)

Is Ezekiel Bread Gluten-Free?

For a long time, there were rumors that the Ezekiel Bread does not contain gluten. But this is simply not true. Gluten is a protein that grass plant their seed that is also known as grains. When the seeds germinate, they begin to use some gluten to nourish the growing plant. (Anderson, 2020)

It seems that people compare "gluten-free" and "healthy food" (they also combine "gluten-free" and "organic" for the same reason).

Gluten-free grains, such as buckwheat and millet, are safe to use in bread if they are not combined with the grains containing gluten, as in Ezekiel bread.

Benefits and side effects of Ezekiel bread

You may have noticed that the selection of Ezekiel bread on the market has recently increased. This dense, nut-rich, vitamin-rich bread comes with a long list of health claims, mostly based on the incredible variety of grains, seeds, and legumes it contains.

More and more people are turning away from white bread made from processed flour to complex carbohydrates that include seeds and grains with high energy density. For this reason, sprouted bread like Ezekiel bread continues to gain popularity.

Benefits

  • Delicious and too high in calories. 
  • Easily digestible
  • It is made from sprouted grains and seeds rather than flour. Sprouted grains are thought to be beneficial because of the germination process. This process increases the production of many essential vitamins and amino acids in grains and seeds, making them healthier than pre-sprouted ingredients.
  • Germination transforms the carbohydrates in the grains and seeds of Ezekiel bread into more nutrients, fiber, and vitamins.
  • When grains like wheat are sprouted, the body is better able to absorb trace elements like selenium.
  • Millet, when germinated, provides superior bioavailability of iron and calcium.

Side effects

As a naturally processed food, there are no significant side effects on Ezekiel bread that you would not get in standard bread with a similar formula.

  • People who are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease cannot enjoy the health benefits of Ezekiel bread.
  • Being derived from seeds and grains, it is in no way a low-carb food. Its glycemic index (a measure of its effect on blood sugar) is much lower than refined carbohydrates. It is still basically a high carbohydrate food, even if these carbohydrates are released slowly in your body compared to others.

Recipe Ezekiel Bread

This bread is considered a healthy alternative to regular bread and is prepared as follows. 

Ezekiel bread ingredients include the following.

  • Durum wheat - 2½ cups
  • Filmy barley - ½ cup
  • Millet - ¼ cup
  • Great Northern Beans - 2 tbsp. 
  • Red beans - 2 tbsp. 
  • Pinto beans - 2 tablespoons.
  • Green lentils - ¼ cup
  • Butter - ½ cup
  • Active Dry Yeast - 2 tbsp. 
  • Warm water - 4 cups
  • Salt - 2 tbsp. 
  • One tablespoon vinegar

Mix all the cereals, lentils, and beans, and grind them to make flour. Take a large bowl and add oil, warm water, and honey (if you want). Stir them well before adding flour, yeast, and salt. Knead the mixture into a dough form. 

After that, transfer the dough to two or three medium ones, grease a loaf of pots, pans, and keep in a warm place for at least an hour. Allow the dough to rise before baking them for 50 minutes in the oven, which is preheated to 350ºF. 

The above is the easiest way to cook this bread. You can also sprout the ingredients before making the dough.

Sprouted Version: to cook Ezekiel's sprouted bread, you must mix cereals, lentils, and beans. Divide them into three equal parts, which should be placed in three glass jars. Add water to the jars, and soak them for a day. Make sure to keep the jars covered with gauze and secured with elastic. 

After 24 hours, drain the water and rinse the grains again. Drain well, and keep grains covered the next day so that the sprouts develop. The next step is to drain the grains before grinding them into the dough, which should be mixed with salt, honey, and yeast. Keep the dough up and then bake as described above.

Conclusion

It is true that eating Ezekiel bread is much healthier than eating white bread. It has obvious nutritional benefits, including a high fiber content and the presence of various amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that are better synthesized and absorbed through the germination process.

If you are trying to increase nutritional levels in your diet, Ezekiel bread is a great way to do it. It is a nutrient-rich source of many grains and seeds, with nutritional value that has been improved by allowing seeds and grains to germinate. Thanks to these benefits, Ezekiel bread is one of the hottest health food trends right now.

References

Anderson, J. (2020, January 30). Can You Have Sprouted Grains If You're Eating Gluten-Free? Retrieved July 08, 2020, from https://www.verywellfit.com/are-sprouted-grains-gluten-free-562843

Hornsby, T. (2006). Ezekiel Off-Broadway. The Bible and Critical Theory, 2(1). doi:10.2104/bc060002

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