The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

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Buckwheat-millet gluten-free Tinned Loaf

Recipe By:Olga Leuta-Morozova
Recipe Status:Untested
Kind of Bake:Retarded overnight – 10-minute style – mixed in the evening, retarded in the fridge overnight and baked next day
Makes:2
Created Over:3 days
Recommended For:
  • anyone can eat this
  • managing blood sugar levels
  • weight management
  • mental health issues
Diversity Score:10
Increase Fibre:All flours used in the recipe (except tapioca) are stoneground and have their own level of fiber/ 100 g. of millet contains 8.5 g. of fiber/ 100 g. of amaranth contains 5 g. of fiber/ 100 g. of brown rice contains 3.5 g. of fiber/ 100 g. of buckwheat contains 10 g. of fiber/ 100 g. of tapioca - 1.8 g. of fiber/ 100 g. of golden flax - 28 g. of fiber/ 100 g. of psyllium - 85 g. fiber/ 100 g. of red quinoa has 10-15 g. of fiber
Probiotic Serving Suggestion:Cultured Butter, tempeh cheese, kimchi
Antioxidants:Red quinoa is a great source of antioxidants - Flavonoids (Kaempferol. This is an antioxidant that has the potential to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease and some cancers. Quercetin. This antioxidant can protect against many serious diseases such as Parkinson's disease, heart disease, osteoporosis and some types of cancer.) In addition, red quinoa seeds contain plant pigments with antioxidant properties such as betaxanthin (yellow) and betacyanins (purple), both of which are betalain pigments. Betalains have been shown in vitro to have powerful antioxidant effects, protect DNA against oxidative damage and reduce cancer risk. Honey is a source of Flavonoids (flavones). Flax seeds and millet are a source of Phenolic acids (lignans). Buckwheat contains carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
Suggested Botanical Blend:I blended flour to create diversity please see the recipe

Ingredients

IngredientsQuantity
wholegrain brown rice flour60 g.
amaranth flour60 g.
millet flour160 g.
green buckwheat flour140 g.
brown buckwheat flour140 g.
tapioca flour60 g.
golden flaxseed flour40 g.
himalayan salt20 g.
honey15 g.
leaven on the peak: starter after 2st build 70 g. + water 150 g. + flour blend 180g. (120 g. wholegrain brown rice flour 60% + 80 g. millet flour 40%) 400 g.
water680 g.
psillium husk35 g.
soaked red quinoa100 g.
extra virgin olive oil30 g.

Recipe Introduction

The bread is served for any occasions and as an everyday food. I have clients who do not eat gluten products due to health restrictions namely the gluten allergies and the autoimmune diseases. Exploring the supermarket shelves in Ukraine I did not fined any sourdough products and the ingredients I saw were very disappointing.
So I developed a BALM Protocol gluten-free bread which has been developed with the clients in mind who has either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. By avoiding emulsifiers and focusing on enzymes, fibre, and gluten-free ingredients, the bread supports digestive balance and nutritional diversity, and fostering community health. This bread totally avoids emulsifiers, which is typically present almost all the gluten free breads at the supermarkets.

When we deep dived into different types of flour at the School I was interested in exploring the buckwheat, the millet, the rice, the chickpea, the corn and other types of flour, I was surprised and impressed bu the level of nourishment and diversity you can incorporate into one loaf. This understanding inspired me to try to turn the wheat starter into the gluten free one. The recipes were not very typical because of the hydration and the ratio of the ingredients as well as the presence of the starch.

So this recipe was created through my experiments where my goal was to minimise starches and to increase the levels of diverts and increase the ease of digestion. At the same time I understand that the starch influences the crumb quality and its fluffiness. So I decided to use the tapioca flour in my sourdough backing as an alternative to the corn and the potato starches.

I like baking such a bread for my family to maintain the digestive balance and to minimise the burden on the gastrointestinal tract as well as to increase the diversity due to high level of wholegrain flour types in GF bread so it has high nutritional value. One of the peculiarities of GF bread that I appreciate is its satiety. In order to get the highest quality ingredients, I used Ukrainian local producers of organic products to source the ingredients and - Ahimsa, Ecorod.

I reccommend eating with this probiotic foods, such a sauerkraut and kimchi and it makes a great sandwich bread

Studies

StudyHow this study has been applied
Effect of whole amaranth flour on bread properties and nutritive value’. Food Science and Technology. To increase protein, lipid, ash, dietary fibre and mineral contents, both micro- and macroelements.
Health benefits of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) polyphenols and dietary fiber: a review’. Journal of Food Science and Technology.Beneficial effects, such as anti-diabetic, anti-tumerogenic, atherosclerogenic effects, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.  Adding polyphenols and dietary fiber to bread.
A REVIEW OF NUTRITIONAL AND NUTRACEUTICAL COMPONENTS OF BUCKWHEAT’. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY.Buckwheat, which is added to bread as a supplement, can provide beneficial health effects and prevent bread from oxidative degradation during processing and storage. Buckwheat proteins act like a dietary fibre and can retard mammary carcinogenesis as well suppress the development of colon cancer. Buckwheat flour lower blood glucose and insulin responses. Buckwheat products could be considered as potential prebiotics for human gastrointestinal track.
FLAXSEED PROTEINS: FOOD USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS’. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYFlaxseed proteins have shown emulsifying and stability when added into bread.
FLAXSEED – A NUTRITIONAL PUNCH’. INTERNATIONAL FOOD RESEARCH JOURNAL.Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of plant lignans, and it contains 75-800 times more that other oilseeds, cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Lignans have antioxidant activity and thus may contribute to the anticancer activity of flaxseed. Used flaxseed to increase fibre and give sufficient amount of omega 3 fatty acids and essential amino acids that have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, regulate heart rate and help reduce the risk of arrhythmias.
QUINOA WHOLE GRAIN DIET COMPROMISES THE CHANGES OF GUT MICROBIOTA AND COLONIC COLITIS INDUCED BY DEXTRAN SULFATE SODIUM IN C57BL/6 MICE’. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS.Utilizing quinoa as a dietary approach to improve intestinal health.
Nutritional and Functional New Perspectives and Potential Health Benefits of Quinoa and Chia Seeds.Fortifying bread with quinoa helps increase the product protein, fiber, and ash content.

Equipment

  • Bowls, tea towels, wooden spoons, kitchen scale, thermometer.

Tin Size cm (HxWxD)

11.5 x 7.5 x 18.5

Starter Quantity

400 g.

Status of Starter

bubbly, lively second-build starter

DDT

26°C (79°F)


Flours

  • Ahimsa, Ecorod (UA brands)

Baking Temperature

230°C/210°C fan/450°F/gas mark 8

Baking Time

245C first 10 min. 220C 35-40 min. 180C last 10-15 min.


Timings

StepDayTimings (hh:mm)
Refresh starter (first build) Day 111 pm
Refresh starter (2-nd build) Day 27 am
Mix Leaven Day 211 am
Soak red quinoa Day 211 am
Make your “Flour mix” - get together wholegrain brown rice flour, amaranth flour, millet flour, green buckwheat flour, brown buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, golden flaxseed flour, himalayan salt Day 22 pm
Boil red quinoa for 4-5 min. and let it coolDay 22 pm
Mix psillium husk with 500g. of water Day 23 pm
Add and mix all ingredients - 180g. of water, “Flour mix”, honey, olive oil, ripe leavenDay 23.15 pm
Add quinoa and mix well Day 25 pm
Transfer the dough to a loaf tin lined with greased parchmentDay 25.15 pm
Put in the fridge and leave overnightDay 28 pm
Bake Day 38 am

How to Store

3-5 days ambient or slice and freeze.

Top Tips

- Mix all types of flour and salt together in one bowl and mix with a fork to avoid lumps or use a sieve.
- Last 30-40 g. of water add while mixing the dough if needed.
- Your Leaven should be thick like thermostat yougurt.

All reasonable care is taken when advising about health aspects of bread, but the information that we share is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

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