Sprouted grains add a sweeter, nutty flavor when used in bread baking. Wheat is the most common sprouted grain for bread, but oat, rye, barley, flax and rice are also used. Sprouted-grain breads can be labeled as made with "malted" grain ingredients. Once confined to health food stores, sprouted-grain breads are now available at most grocery chains and local bakeries. Knowing the varieties available will help you pick out a delicious bread for your toast and sandwiches.

Sprouting

Sprouted-grain flour is made by soaking grains in water. When the sprout is the same length as the kernel, the entire plant is ground into flour. This is a similar process to the malting process for hops in beer-making; hence, the term malted grain also is used for this kind of flour. Multigrain sprouted bread is made from flour ground from different kinds of sprouted grains.

Nutrition

What Is Sorghum Flour?

Learn More

Sprouted-grain breads are advertised as being healthier than traditional white bread, but there is a question as to the nutritional profile of sprouted versus regular whole grains. It is a fact that whole-grain bread is healthier than processed white bread. The sprouting process may not add more nutrition than regular whole-grain flour, but it does make an earthy tasting loaf.

Local Bakers

Look for sprouted-grain bread in a local artisan bakery, at a farmer's market stand or make your own. You can buy sprouted-grain flour online or at a health food store. Be sure to store it airtight and use it quickly as the oils in whole-grain flours turn rancid quickly. Using sprouted whole-grain flour as a substitute for whole-wheat flour in bread recipes requires no special adaptations.

Brand Names

Ezekiel Cereal Nutrition Information

Learn More

Most grocery stores carry national and local brands of sprouted grain breads. There are several bakers of so-called bible breads, such as Ezekiel, that replicate a recipe mentioned in the Old Testament. Secular bakers abound, too, such as Dave's Killer Bread in a suburb of Portland, Oregon. National chains such as Whole Foods and Publix markets offer sprouted-grain breads, often kept in the freezer section to maintain freshness.