Can I effectively speed-up soakers with ingredients such as millet, flax
seeds, quinoa grain and steel-cut oats by cooking them like a hot breakfast
cereal without losing much of the flavor or nutrient qualtities?

Also I have two more questions: first, I've been putting all the salt
required for the entire loaf into the soaker and adding it to the final
dough with a sponge as a second step. So I have my soaker, my sponge, and
my final dough: three steps. The second other question is this: ny instant
yeast is with the final dough, not with the sponge. I do this so I can
retard the fermentation a little bit and allow the sponge to sit a while
before I have to actually start the fermentation process. It seems to work
well for me but I'd like to hear other thoughts out there. Whenever I need
sugar, I've been putting it in the sponge. Thoughts on that too would be
appreciated.

Thanks,

Rich

If your just trying to soften the grain it should work to cook them, but I
think you might lose a lot of flavor since you aren't giving the enzymes
time to break down starches into sugars..which is what gives a lot of flavor
to the soaker. There sure is no harm in trying though and seeing what
happens.

Mike S.


"Richard Hollenbeck" wrote in message
news:0MzGh.7928$WE5.4301@trndny06...
Can I effectively speed-up soakers with ingredients such as millet, flax
seeds, quinoa grain and steel-cut oats by cooking them like a hot
breakfast cereal without losing much of the flavor or nutrient qualtities?

Also I have two more questions: first, I've been putting all the salt
required for the entire loaf into the soaker and adding it to the final
dough with a sponge as a second step. So I have my soaker, my sponge, and
my final dough: three steps. The second other question is this: ny
instant yeast is with the final dough, not with the sponge. I do this so
I can retard the fermentation a little bit and allow the sponge to sit a
while before I have to actually start the fermentation process. It seems
to work well for me but I'd like to hear other thoughts out there.
Whenever I need sugar, I've been putting it in the sponge. Thoughts on
that too would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rich

No, I think you answered the question and I suspected the same. My old
baking instructor used to say to the class, "You can't hurry love," and it
seems that every shortcut has some kind of negative side effect. Okay, I'll
just make the soaker the day before I plan to use it.

Thank You. Yes it did work to cook it like a hot cereal, but now I'm going
to do it the right way and compare the taste.

Rich

"Mike S." wrote in message
...
If your just trying to soften the grain it should work to cook them, but I
think you might lose a lot of flavor since you aren't giving the enzymes
time to break down starches into sugars..which is what gives a lot of
flavor to the soaker. There sure is no harm in trying though and seeing
what happens.

Mike S.


"Richard Hollenbeck" wrote in message
news:0MzGh.7928$WE5.4301@trndny06...
Can I effectively speed-up soakers with ingredients such as millet, flax
seeds, quinoa grain and steel-cut oats by cooking them like a hot
breakfast cereal without losing much of the flavor or nutrient
qualtities?

Also I have two more questions: first, I've been putting all the salt
required for the entire loaf into the soaker and adding it to the final
dough with a sponge as a second step. So I have my soaker, my sponge,
and my final dough: three steps. The second other question is this: ny
instant yeast is with the final dough, not with the sponge. I do this so
I can retard the fermentation a little bit and allow the sponge to sit a
while before I have to actually start the fermentation process. It seems
to work well for me but I'd like to hear other thoughts out there.
Whenever I need sugar, I've been putting it in the sponge. Thoughts on
that too would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rich