on different types of grains, flours

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grains.

bread.

on soaking grains and flours

two types of grains

memories: loafs of bread that will stay in my heart forever <3

what grain is the healthiest?

conversations with bakers: on sourdough and whole grain

where to get your grains and your loaf of bread:

story: rye night at lille bakery

as you might know I always had a deep love for bread. sourdough bread. freshly baked. warm. I love bread even more if its warm / toasted - always have always will. Ideally freshly baked straight of the oven. there is nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread. If I am using frozen bread, I dip the slice of bread into water for a second so it gets more moist, and put it into the pan or toaster).

bread is so simple (water + salt + time. & patience. & love) yet so versatile. as everything it art. understanding it, feeding it, shaping it. different grain varieties.

bread is always there for you:

to dip into your bean liquid.
to enjoy with almond butter and jam and herbs.
to eat with fresh ricotta, caramelized fruits or vegetables. and herbs.
simply with olive oil, salt and artichokes.
wrapping it around a wooden stick and holding it over fire.

there are some many different opinions and voices when it comes to different grains. rye or wholegrain? wholegrains or white flour? (wholegrains ofc <3!)
as with all ingredients, I believe a huge part that determines which type of grain is the most beneficial for our bodies, is the origin, soil, milling, treatment, process, fermentation the grains go through. if it is sourdough or yeast based. has the bread dough been fermented? has the flour been soaked?

on soaking grains and flours:

fermenting flour to make sourdough bread has had a huge comeback. but still need to consider that not only the flour we use for bread should undergo fermentation first. also the flour we use for cakes, pizza doughs, flatbreads, cookies should be soaked first. I know this sounds very time consuming. but in the old days people learned that this provides the best way for our human bodies to consume grains.
I really got into soaking and fermenting nuts and grains a few years ago when I read the book “nourishing traditions”. it made so much sense to me. and I really noticed a difference in my digestion, the grains being a lot gentler on my gut and feeling more lightweight. so my kitchen counter slowly started filling up with pots of water and grains, seeds and nuts in it, waiting for the next day.

two different types of grains:

grains that contain gluten.

examples:

oats

reminiscing on my favourite out porridge memory:

when I spent one month in berlin during summer I lived with the loveliest family in prenzlauer berg. I loved the morning routine. brewing my cup of filter coffee in my pygamas while watching the families five children getting ready for their waldorf school or waldorf kindergarden. the mum was preping some rye bread sandwhiches. when I discovered their wooden mill in the kitchen corner I new I´d have oat porridge. every morning. milling oat grains. soaking overnight. gently cooking. it made such an incredible difference in taste and feeling of nourishment. I like to add some dryed figs and bay leafs (both from croatia, that I always carry around with me when travelling), cardamom, a few sage leaves, sea salt and let it simmer with the oats. I always add some homemade almond butter. and either honey jam or caramelized fruit on top. a dash of olive oil. some fresh herbs.
my goal one day is to have my own mill on day.

rye

I do miss my typical german rye bread from home. toasted, with raw honey and sea salt. or with butter and thyme.

barley

wheat

spelt

a gentle, well digestable grain.

is know to be tolerated better by those who are prone to allergies (the same is true for kamut).

important note:

gluten containing grains should be soaked or fermented, otherwise they are hard to digest, as they contain phytates and enzyme inhibitors.

a reminder to be aware that common foods like granola, nut butters are all made from UNsoaked grains...(commercial packaged foods like granola have been made with harsh high pressure heat techniques, a process called “extrusion”. nutrients get lost, fats rancid and proteins toxic. )
a motivation to make your own granolas and nut butters and porridges from soaked grains and nuts.

grains without gluten:

examples:

buckwheat

one of my favourite grains! making buckwheat crêpes, gnocchi, cakes,...

sidenote: to be exact buckwheat is not a grain. rather, it is the seed of an herb.

contains lots of nitrilosides (they are known to prevent cancer)

rice

millet / Hirse

note:

these do not need to be soaked necessarily. still make sure to take appropriate care, by gently letting them simmer for a few hours. as always simmering something for a long time at low temperature is worth it. try opting for this more time intense option rather than using more modern tools like pressure cookers. give the nutrients enough time to unfold their flavours and to protect their nourishing properties. (ideally it is recommended to let them simmer in a broth containing minerals and gelatine).

stories: loafs of bread that will stay in my heart forever <3:

buckwheat gluten free bread. baked freshly everyday by a portugese woman and delivery to my favourite little farm in sintra, portugal:

ingredients:

maniok root starch
psyllium seeds
olive oil
honey
salt

buckwheat bread

acorn bread.

naturally sweet, spiced bread. with fennel, eggs, black pord lard, acorn flour, olive oil, cinnamon,...by a regenerative farm in portugal. baked in their wood-fired oven.

acorn bread

making purple wheat sourdough flatbreads with vildhvede:

dipping the warm flatbreads in herbal infused oil

“artos bread” sweet honey olive oil breads in athens:

ingredients:

flour
water
yeast
brown sugar
salt
honey
cinnamon
red wine
extra virgin olive oil

artos bread pick up

Since I moved to Denmark, I have been lucky to have so many amazing bakeries, bakers, people holding incredible knowledge about grains, millers. they treat whatever grain they hold in their hands with so much care, attention, creativity and love. have been lucky to talk to a few truly talented bakers and here about their stories, baking rituals and values. (link to “conversations with bakers”).

? questions:

what grain is the healthiest? rye? wholegrain? spelt?
on which factors does the quality, healthiness, gut friendlyness and noutrishousness of a grain depend?

a very complex question. lots of different opinions and answers. to help answer it I talked to a few millers and bakers to hear their points of view and experiences on it (conversation coming soon).

where to get your grains and your loaf of bread:

goal: freshly grounded/milled flour (most nutrients).

ideally: have a mill yourself. (dream of mine). bake yourself. somehow always tastes the best. its imperfection, the joy of making it, and gently tearing it into pieces burning your fingers not being able to wait until it cools down.

background thoughts: for me a bakery has a soul when the bakers are not aiming to achieve perfection and uniformity of every single loaf. I love the imperfection that comes with experimenting, trying out new grains, creating different flavours, valuing the quality, being connected to the source of the grains and being passionate.

in Copenhagen:

very lucky with having the most incredible sourdough breads and bakeries sourrounding me. my favourite ones are “darker” loafs, containing higher wholegrain and rye. those made of special grain varities. something about danish rye bread. (although I do miss the typical german dark sourdough “farmersbread” (”Bauernbrot”) sometimes - again, specifically: toasted, with butter, honey and sea salt.)

my favourite bakeries in copenhagen and sourroundings to get bread:

batting bakery
lille bakery (the purple wheat loaf will forever be my favourite!)
tir bakery (really caring about wholegrains, even wholegrain pastries)(they are currently using a varity called “popcørn”)
sinne gas baggeri

where to get bread on mondays, tuesdays:

albatross & venner - their classic loaf containing wholegrain)(also available to buy at auren´s deli and omegn et venner)
seks
mirabelle - contains wholegrain

where to buy flour in Copenhagen:

tir bakery
grønt market
byens landhandel

millers:

tir bakery
vildhvede
brinkholm
kornby mølle

Vienna:
bakery:
bread from farmers markets or small “bioladen”

Berlin:

Amsterdam

Paris


Lille bakery event.
Purple wheat flat breads.





Lille bakery event:

I want to write a little about the beautifully organised “rye night” event by Lille bakery.

After a bike ride through the cold, gloomy Copenhagen we arrived at Lille bakery. a fire was burning in front of the doors. inside, you could see the silhouttes of the bakers and people slowly gathering. drinks: natural wine or rye beer.


sitting together, talking about the same beautiful topic. these are my favourite gatherings - choosing one topic (rye) and making a night focused entirely around it. learning, baking, cooking, talking about it. it gives us the possibility to really learn about a certain grain or ingredient more deeply. we all love getting a fresh loaf of rye bread to bring back to our homes. but I feel that everytime we get to learn about more the source, process, milling, stories, nutritional value, baking possibilities, fermentation,... we end of going home with a deeper awareness, appreciation and knowledge about rye bread. we build a relationship with it. we get inspired. the next time we bake or come by at the bakery to get our rye bread, will make us reminiscent of this night.

everbody has different knowledge about, memories, experiences with. but it is a moment of sharing and connecting these stories.


A rye cracker and rye popcorn were waiting for each one of us. During the talk you could hear people cracking and chewing on their rye Knäckebrot made by Akito. A little snack while listening to talks and having conversations.

First we heared about the history of rye from (food historian Asmus), after that Nikolaj (from Brinkholm) told as some tales and insights from a farmer´s and miller´s perspective.

Then, we were lucky to be able to taste different rye bread creations from the “rye altar” in the middle of the room. Akito made a miso (!) rye bread, while Giulia got inspired to create a    German rye bread by bringing a traditional german recipe to the bakery (probably my favourite of the evening. it brings a little piece of home to Denmark, as it tasted like the typical Austrian/German “Roggen Bauernbrot”. my forever favourite Austrian home combination: toasted Austrian/German “Roggen Bauernbrot” with honey and sea salt). Of course there was also the classic Lille rye bread, of course with a lot of seeds. another rye bread was made with dates. some more sweet, some more umami or acidic, some with a crunchy crust, some more dense, some moist fluffy. but all special in their own way. My friend Jun and I felt like the happiest in the world, being able to test the different recipes, flavours and consistencies. sharing red wine and rye bread (and of course a little bit of fresh butter). it felt so deeply traditional and valuable. some japanese fermented pumpkin and beetroot on the side (rye nukazuke).

Peppe prepared an incredible pasta dish out of rye. with rye cream and potato.

For desert we had “ryescream”. that gelato really made my heart melt. soaked, infused toasted rye bread with rye crunsh on top. the most natural, pure flavoured ice cream.

rye bread came to Denmark around 2000 years ago. during the period of volcanic eruptions happening to the land and difficult harsh land conditios, it was the one grain that proved itself the most resilient and survivable as well as easiest to grow. it provided a important nutrient source during difficult times.

interestly later wheat was seen as the “wealthier”, more exclusive bread choice.

a very sweet old tradition: “back in the old days, there was no need for spoons when eating soup. rye was used as a spoon. it was dipped into and used to scoop or spoon everything soupy, stewy warm. a comfort meal that was shared amongst families.” rye originates from the french word “copain” which means sharing bread in french.

I have always love to get my weekly dose of pumpkins from Brinkholm. every sunday you can find Nikolaj at the grønt market. a pumpkin enthusiast with a big heart. there is a pumpkin for everyone and everything. I always love to go for the nutty, sweat, earthy ones. but lets get back to rye. Nikolaj told us about the farms values when it comes to growing, harvesting and milling grains. they care a lot about dynamic soil, diversity and natures cycles. extremely grateful for organic farmers that invest a lot of time, passion and effort in order to be able to produce high quality, natural produce for us , even though the yield is lower (compared to mass seed growing and using modern controlled methods like nitrogen pumping). how can we give something back to these farmers, the soil , the animals and the land? we have the chance with every bite we eat by acknowledging the flavour and noutrishousness. by supporting them.

seasons: rye is seeded in autumn, “autumn-grain”.

to do øllebrod recipe.

we touched on the question: “is rye healthier than other grains?” as always it depends on many factors (fermented or not, grain quality, milling, soil, ....). but as rye is mostly sold as a wholegrain (and not sifted)one can generally say that it would be the healthier choice. concluding answerof the evening: hard to answer.

Lille´s bread menu on the window: classic, rye bread, purple wheat loaf, german rye, oat, spelt, porridge

Like in most bakeries, the lille bakery team observed that most people go for the “classic” fluffy airy loaf.

is trying to prompt their guests to be openminded and to try their new creations with different grain varities by trying out new recipes, cutting up taste loafs, offering grain events like this one,… the bakers are trying to give their guests an inside into the world of grain diversity. a goal is to use as much wholegrain as possible <3.
this mindset once again confirms that lille bakery will always have a very special place in my heart.
hopefully wholegrain varity breads will soon appear more in countries, like Italy or Croatia, that still are used to predominantly white non-sourdough breads.

rye

lille bakery

sourdough

grains

I want to write a little about the beautifully organised “rye night” event by Lille bakery.

After a bike ride through the cold, gloomy Copenhagen we arrived at Lille bakery. a fire was burning in front of the doors. inside, you could see the silhouttes of the bakers and people slowly gathering. drinks: natural wine or rye beer.

sitting together, talking about the same beautiful topic. these are my favourite gatherings - choosing one topic (rye) and making a night focused entirely around it. learning, baking, cooking, talking about it. it gives us the possibility to really learn about a certain grain or ingredient more deeply. we all love getting a fresh loaf of rye bread to bring back to our homes. but I feel that everytime we get to learn about more the source, process, milling, stories, nutritional value, baking possibilities, fermentation,... we end of going home with a deeper awareness, appreciation and knowledge about rye bread. we build a relationship with it. we get inspired. the next time we bake or come by at the bakery to get our rye bread, will make us reminiscent of this night.

everbody has different knowledge about, memories, experiences with. but it is a moment of sharing and connecting these stories.

A rye cracker and rye popcorn were waiting for each one of us. During the talk you could hear people cracking and chewing on their rye Knäckebrot made by Akito. A little snack while listening to talks and having conversations.

First we heared about the history of rye from (food historian Asmus), after that Nikolaj (from Brinkholm) told as some tales and insights from a farmer´s and miller´s perspective.

Then, we were lucky to be able to taste different rye bread creations from the “rye altar” in the middle of the room. Akito made a miso (!) rye bread, while Giulia got inspired to create a German rye bread by bringing a traditional german recipe to the bakery (probably my favourite of the evening. it brings a little piece of home to Denmark, as it tasted like the typical Austrian/German “Roggen Bauernbrot”. my forever favourite Austrian home combination: toasted Austrian/German “Roggen Bauernbrot” with honey and sea salt). Of course there was also the classic Lille rye bread, of course with a lot of seeds. another rye bread was made with dates. some more sweet, some more umami or acidic, some with a crunchy crust, some more dense, some moist fluffy. but all special in their own way. My friend Jun and I felt like the happiest in the world, being able to test the different recipes, flavours and consistencies. sharing red wine and rye bread (and of course a little bit of fresh butter). it felt so deeply traditional and valuable. some japanese fermented pumpkin and beetroot on the side (rye nukazuke).

Peppe prepared an incredible pasta dish out of rye. with rye cream and potato.

For desert we had “ryescream”. that gelato really made my heart melt. soaked, infused toasted rye bread with rye crunsh on top. the most natural, pure flavoured ice cream.

I have always love to get my weekly dose of pumpkins from Brinkholm. every sunday you can find Nikolaj at the grønt market. a pumpkin enthusiast with a big heart. there is a pumpkin for everyone and everything. I always love to go for the nutty, sweat, earthy ones. but lets get back to rye. Nikolaj told us about the farms values when it comes to growing, harvesting and milling grains. they care a lot about dynamic soil, diversity and natures cycles. extremely grateful for organic farmers that invest a lot of time, passion and effort in order to be able to produce high quality, natural produce for us , even though the yield is lower (compared to mass seed growing and using modern controlled methods like nitrogen pumping). how can we give something back to these farmers, the soil , the animals and the land? we have the chance with every bite we eat by acknowledging the flavour and noutrishousness. by supporting them.

rye bread came to Denmark around 2000 years ago. during the period of volcanic eruptions happening to the land and difficult harsh land conditios, it was the one grain that proved itself the most resilient and survivable as well as easiest to grow. it provided a important nutrient source during difficult times.

a very sweet old tradition: “back in the old days, there was no need for spoons when eating soup. rye was used as a spoon. it was dipped into and used to scoop or spoon everything soupy, stewy warm. a comfort meal that was shared amongst families.” rye originates from the french word “copain” which means sharing bread in french.

grains.





Lille bakery event:

I want to write a little about the beautifully organised “rye night” event by Lille bakery.

After a bike ride through the cold, gloomy Copenhagen we arrived at Lille bakery. a fire was burning in front of the doors. inside, you could see the silhouttes of the bakers and people slowly gathering. drinks: natural wine or rye beer.


sitting together, talking about the same beautiful topic. these are my favourite gatherings - choosing one topic (rye) and making a night focused entirely around it. learning, baking, cooking, talking about it. it gives us the possibility to really learn about a certain grain or ingredient more deeply. we all love getting a fresh loaf of rye bread to bring back to our homes. but I feel that everytime we get to learn about more the source, process, milling, stories, nutritional value, baking possibilities, fermentation,... we end of going home with a deeper awareness, appreciation and knowledge about rye bread. we build a relationship with it. we get inspired. the next time we bake or come by at the bakery to get our rye bread, will make us reminiscent of this night.

everbody has different knowledge about, memories, experiences with. but it is a moment of sharing and connecting these stories.


A rye cracker and rye popcorn were waiting for each one of us. During the talk you could hear people cracking and chewing on their rye Knäckebrot made by Akito. A little snack while listening to talks and having conversations.

First we heared about the history of rye from (food historian Asmus), after that Nikolaj (from Brinkholm) told as some tales and insights from a farmer´s and miller´s perspective.

Then, we were lucky to be able to taste different rye bread creations from the “rye altar” in the middle of the room. Akito made a miso (!) rye bread, while Giulia got inspired to create a    German rye bread by bringing a traditional german recipe to the bakery (probably my favourite of the evening. it brings a little piece of home to Denmark, as it tasted like the typical Austrian/German “Roggen Bauernbrot”. my forever favourite Austrian home combination: toasted Austrian/German “Roggen Bauernbrot” with honey and sea salt). Of course there was also the classic Lille rye bread, of course with a lot of seeds. another rye bread was made with dates. some more sweet, some more umami or acidic, some with a crunchy crust, some more dense, some moist fluffy. but all special in their own way. My friend Jun and I felt like the happiest in the world, being able to test the different recipes, flavours and consistencies. sharing red wine and rye bread (and of course a little bit of fresh butter). it felt so deeply traditional and valuable. some japanese fermented pumpkin and beetroot on the side (rye nukazuke).

Peppe prepared an incredible pasta dish out of rye. with rye cream and potato.

For desert we had “ryescream”. that gelato really made my heart melt. soaked, infused toasted rye bread with rye crunsh on top. the most natural, pure flavoured ice cream.

rye bread came to Denmark around 2000 years ago. during the period of volcanic eruptions happening to the land and difficult harsh land conditios, it was the one grain that proved itself the most resilient and survivable as well as easiest to grow. it provided a important nutrient source during difficult times.

interestly later wheat was seen as the “wealthier”, more exclusive bread choice.

a very sweet old tradition: “back in the old days, there was no need for spoons when eating soup. rye was used as a spoon. it was dipped into and used to scoop or spoon everything soupy, stewy warm. a comfort meal that was shared amongst families.” rye originates from the french word “copain” which means sharing bread in french.

I have always love to get my weekly dose of pumpkins from Brinkholm. every sunday you can find Nikolaj at the grønt market. a pumpkin enthusiast with a big heart. there is a pumpkin for everyone and everything. I always love to go for the nutty, sweat, earthy ones. but lets get back to rye. Nikolaj told us about the farms values when it comes to growing, harvesting and milling grains. they care a lot about dynamic soil, diversity and natures cycles. extremely grateful for organic farmers that invest a lot of time, passion and effort in order to be able to produce high quality, natural produce for us , even though the yield is lower (compared to mass seed growing and using modern controlled methods like nitrogen pumping). how can we give something back to these farmers, the soil , the animals and the land? we have the chance with every bite we eat by acknowledging the flavour and noutrishousness. by supporting them.

seasons: rye is seeded in autumn, “autumn-grain”.

to do øllebrod recipe.

we touched on the question: “is rye healthier than other grains?” as always it depends on many factors (fermented or not, grain quality, milling, soil, ....). but as rye is mostly sold as a wholegrain (and not sifted)one can generally say that it would be the healthier choice. concluding answerof the evening: hard to answer.

Lille´s bread menu on the window: classic, rye bread, purple wheat loaf, german rye, oat, spelt, porridge

Like in most bakeries, the lille bakery team observed that most people go for the “classic” fluffy airy loaf.

is trying to prompt their guests to be openminded and to try their new creations with different grain varities by trying out new recipes, cutting up taste loafs, offering grain events like this one,… the bakers are trying to give their guests an inside into the world of grain diversity. a goal is to use as much wholegrain as possible <3.
this mindset once again confirms that lille bakery will always have a very special place in my heart.
hopefully wholegrain varity breads will soon appear more in countries, like Italy or Croatia, that still are used to predominantly white non-sourdough breads.