Whole Grain 100
Email: wholegrain100@proton.me
  • Welcome
  • Price Sheet
  • Store & Classes
  • Baking Education
  • Recipes
  • Grain Education
  • Health & Nutrition

Baking With Oat Flour

2/16/2015

5 Comments

 
Oat flour may be a bit more difficult to find if you don't mill your own flour. If you do have access to a mill buy oat groats they look like wheat berries and mill very nicely. Oat flour and wheat flour can be used for breads, cookies, cakes and many other baked goods. There are some important differences that you should be aware of when converting wheat flour recipes to oat flour ones.

Many people are attracted to oat flour for their baking because it's gluten-free, unlike wheat flour. Some people avoid gluten because of medical or dietary concerns. Gluten is a protein that makes dough elastic and baked goods chewy. Without gluten, oat flour can leave your baked goods heavy or the item may fall apart. Some cooks remedy this by adding more liquid or rising ingredients to their recipes. I find it's best to use oat flour in baked products that will benefit from the flours properties.

Since it has no gluten it's not the best choice for bread unless you mix it with a gluten flour like hard red or hard white flour in  ratio of 1/3 oat flour to 2/3 hard red or white. If does make a great shortbread cookie, pie crust,   or any baked item that does not need to raise and you want a very tender product. When making recipes that require baking powder, add 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder per cup of oat flour. If you are using buttermilk in your recipe, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of buttermilk or any acid. This will neutralize the acid in the recipe and allow the baking powder to work more effectively.  Adjusting the leavening agents will give your baked goods a bit more lift.

Oat flour has a lovely slightly sweet taste compared to a soft white wheat flour (pastry flour). Oat flour also tends to make  baked goods more moist compared to wheat flour. Which again makes it a good choice for cookies and quick breads. In your cookie and  quick bread recipes, replace up to 1/4 cup of the wheat flour with oat flour with usually no adjustments to the recipe.

Have fun experiment with different grains
Happy Baking
Tamara
5 Comments

Get More Nutrition From Your Oatmeal

2/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Prepare Your Oatmeal  The Traditional Way
We are not talking about quick oats, that you put into the microwave for a minute and it's ready. We're talking about preparing traditional rolled oats or oat groats. Speaking from personal experience with digestive issues preparing oatmeal the traditional way has many benefits. For centuries societies have soaked their whole grains before consuming them. I do this with my whole grain breads and preparing oatmeal is not any different.

Why Soaking is Important
All grains contain phytic acid (an organic acid in which the phosphorous is bound) in the outer layer or bran of the berry.  Soaking the oats in a weak acid allows the enzyme, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize the phytic acid. This will allow your intestinal track to absorb the calcium, magnesium, copper, iron  and especially zinc in the oat bran. Some believe there's not  much phytic acid present in the oats to make a difference and once you cook them for several minutes the acid is broken down. The real test is with your digestive system. Try it and see if you notice a difference.

Benefits Of Soaking Your Oats First
1. Your breakfast will stick with you until lunch. This is important if you are watching your weight.
2. Your body will be able to absorb the minerals in the grains more readily making the oatmeal more nutritious.
3. Shortens the cooking time in the morning since they are soaked overnight.

One of the biggest complaints of implementing the traditional method of soaked oatmeal is getting used to the mildly tangy taste.  I do not even notice the mild tang, but I drink kefir with every meal and I always add a touch of honey to my oatmeal. If this is an issue for you start out slow, the first time you make it, soak the oats in just plain water. The next time add 1 teaspoon acid of your choice. Build up the amount of acid until you reach the 2 tablespoons for 1 cup of water.
 
Soaking Oatmeal Recipe
Soaking Time: 7 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Nutrition Info: Calories: 153.8 Fat: 3.0g Carbohydrates: 28.3g Protein: 5.1g

Soaking The Night Before
  • 1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp acidic medium (yogurt, whey, kefir, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, buttermilk

The Next Morning

  • 1 cup water or milk
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Add 1 cup of oats, water, and the acidic medium into a glass bowl and stir well. Cover and let sit overnight in the fridge (at least 7-8 hours).
  2. In the morning add another 1 cup of water or milk and the salt, stir well.
  3. Heat to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Serve with a generous portion of butter and cream. (optional honey and raisins)


Recipe Method From Nourishing Tradition
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com
http://wholelifestylenutrition.com

0 Comments

    Grain Education
          Whole Grains


    Archives

    February 2020
    June 2017
    November 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    Brown Rice
    Buckwheat
    Cooking With WG
    Diet & WG
    Einkorn Grain
    Getting Started Milling Grain
    Labels
    Nutrition
    Oats
    Understanding WG

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.