I'm experimenting with gluten-free grains used to make bread substitutes.
I'm playing around with Amaranth, which I have always like in whole-seed
form as a breakfast porridge. I grind the Amaranth into a flour, but what
I find is that it is extremely "crunchy" even in flour form. It really
feels to me like you want to "cook" the flour first, both to soften it, and
separately to get that gelatinous substance that Amaranth has to leak from
it, before you add it to a bread recipe.

Does anyone here have experience cooking with Amaranth, and what is your
experience on this?

--
W

On Sunday, December 22, 2013 3:20:52 PM UTC-6, W wrote:
> I'm experimenting with gluten-free grains used to make bread substitutes.
>
> I'm playing around with Amaranth, which I have always like in whole-seed
>
> form as a breakfast porridge. I grind the Amaranth into a flour, but what
>
> I find is that it is extremely "crunchy" even in flour form. It really
>
> feels to me like you want to "cook" the flour first, both to soften it, and
>
> separately to get that gelatinous substance that Amaranth has to leak from
>
> it, before you add it to a bread recipe.
>
>
>
> Does anyone here have experience cooking with Amaranth, and what is your
>
> experience on this?
>
>
>
> --
>
> W


I use it in small amounts in bread. It has a weird, almost metallic smell that's very hard to describe. I'm trying to make myself like it because its very nutritious, but I'm not having a lot of luck with it. I'm sticking to Kamut and Triticale mostly, with some flax seeds here and there. They seem more "normal" to me. At least they don't smell like an old can that used to have corn in it.

"W" > wrote in message
...
> I'm experimenting with gluten-free grains used to make bread substitutes.
> I'm playing around with Amaranth, which I have always like in whole-seed
> form as a breakfast porridge. I grind the Amaranth into a flour, but
what
> I find is that it is extremely "crunchy" even in flour form. It really
> feels to me like you want to "cook" the flour first, both to soften it,
and
> separately to get that gelatinous substance that Amaranth has to leak from
> it, before you add it to a bread recipe.
>
> Does anyone here have experience cooking with Amaranth, and what is your
> experience on this?

Same question would apply to Teff flour. Should it be precooked to bring
out the softer and gelatinous quality?

--
W

"W" > wrote in message
...
> "W" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I'm experimenting with gluten-free grains used to make bread substitutes.
>> I'm playing around with Amaranth, which I have always like in whole-seed
>> form as a breakfast porridge. I grind the Amaranth into a flour, but
> what
>> I find is that it is extremely "crunchy" even in flour form. It really
>> feels to me like you want to "cook" the flour first, both to soften it,
> and
>> separately to get that gelatinous substance that Amaranth has to leak
>> from
>> it, before you add it to a bread recipe.
>>
>> Does anyone here have experience cooking with Amaranth, and what is your
>> experience on this?
>
> Same question would apply to Teff flour. Should it be precooked to bring
> out the softer and gelatinous quality?

I have cooked with alternate flours but not Teff. Most need to be combined
with other flours because they don't work well on their own. I bought my
Amaranth flour and it wasn't crunchy at all.

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...
>
> "W" > wrote in message
> ...
> > "W" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> I'm experimenting with gluten-free grains used to make bread
substitutes.
> >> I'm playing around with Amaranth, which I have always like in
whole-seed
> >> form as a breakfast porridge. I grind the Amaranth into a flour, but
> > what
> >> I find is that it is extremely "crunchy" even in flour form. It
really
> >> feels to me like you want to "cook" the flour first, both to soften it,
> > and
> >> separately to get that gelatinous substance that Amaranth has to leak
> >> from
> >> it, before you add it to a bread recipe.
> >>
> >> Does anyone here have experience cooking with Amaranth, and what is
your
> >> experience on this?
> >
> > Same question would apply to Teff flour. Should it be precooked to
bring
> > out the softer and gelatinous quality?
>
> I have cooked with alternate flours but not Teff. Most need to be
combined
> with other flours because they don't work well on their own. I bought my
> Amaranth flour and it wasn't crunchy at all.

I guess it is the degree of grinding and since I'm using a nut grinder I get
a very coarse grind. I don't know how finely a consumer grain mill could
grind a small seed like that.

The Amaranth seed is very hard but when you cook it both softens and gives
off a kind of sticky gel. I'm really curious how that gel would improve
or worsen a bread mixture.

--
W

"W" > wrote in message
...
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "W" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > "W" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> >> I'm experimenting with gluten-free grains used to make bread
> substitutes.
>> >> I'm playing around with Amaranth, which I have always like in
> whole-seed
>> >> form as a breakfast porridge. I grind the Amaranth into a flour,
>> >> but
>> > what
>> >> I find is that it is extremely "crunchy" even in flour form. It
> really
>> >> feels to me like you want to "cook" the flour first, both to soften
>> >> it,
>> > and
>> >> separately to get that gelatinous substance that Amaranth has to leak
>> >> from
>> >> it, before you add it to a bread recipe.
>> >>
>> >> Does anyone here have experience cooking with Amaranth, and what is
> your
>> >> experience on this?
>> >
>> > Same question would apply to Teff flour. Should it be precooked to
> bring
>> > out the softer and gelatinous quality?
>>
>> I have cooked with alternate flours but not Teff. Most need to be
> combined
>> with other flours because they don't work well on their own. I bought my
>> Amaranth flour and it wasn't crunchy at all.
>
> I guess it is the degree of grinding and since I'm using a nut grinder I
> get
> a very coarse grind. I don't know how finely a consumer grain mill
> could
> grind a small seed like that.
>
> The Amaranth seed is very hard but when you cook it both softens and gives
> off a kind of sticky gel. I'm really curious how that gel would improve
> or worsen a bread mixture.

Well, flax and chia seeds do the same and they are fine in bread.

"W" > wrote in message
...
> I'm experimenting with gluten-free grains used to make bread substitutes.
> I'm playing around with Amaranth, which I have always like in whole-seed
> form as a breakfast porridge. I grind the Amaranth into a flour, but
what
> I find is that it is extremely "crunchy" even in flour form. It really
> feels to me like you want to "cook" the flour first, both to soften it,
and
> separately to get that gelatinous substance that Amaranth has to leak from
> it, before you add it to a bread recipe.

I tried to precook teff and amaranth and using this as flours in a pancake
recipe. I would have to call it a FAIL. The grains soak up the moisture
and won't let go of it. You end up cooking a very wet mixture that never
hardens on the grill.

--
W