Essene Bread

This is a sprouted bread recipe-very old and said to have been created
back in the biblical days. Also, this recipe literally, takes days to
make. Your efforts and time will be well rewarded with a couple of the
most singular breads--solid, sweet, and moist. Wheat berries are
available from your local natural foods store.

3 cups wheat berries
water
cornmeal or bran

Beginning several days before you hope to eat this bread, rinse the
wheat berries in cool water, drain and submerge the berries with cool
water in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or cloth, and allow
the berries to soak at normal room temperature overnight or for about 12
hours.
The berries will soak up a considerable amount of water. Drain the
berries in a colander, cover the colander with a plate to prevent the
berries from drying out, and set it in a place away from light and where
the sun won't shine on it.
Rinse the berries about 3 times a day, and they will soon begin to
sprout. In a couple of days the sprouts will reach their optimum length
of about l/4 inch. Growth depends on moisture and temperature so be
patient.

Grinding the berries is the next step. Use a hand mill for this
rather messy task (the messy aspect is cleaning the mill) but a meat
grinder or a heavy duty food processor also work.
After grinding, dump the mushed up grain onto a clean work surface.
Squeeze and knead the grain for about 10 minutes, and then form 2 small
round, hearth-style loaves with your hands.
Sprinkle an insulated cookie sheet with a little bran or cornmeal,
and put the loaves on it. Preheating the oven is not necessary.
Cover the loaves with lids made of foil, not touching them, and bake
at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Then turn the oven down
to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake for approximately 2 hours and
15 minutes more.
Traditionally, Essene bread was probably baked on hot rocks under
scorching sunlight. Baking at oven temperatures might destroy the sprout
enzymes. Guaranteeing the preservation of the enzymes might require
baking at a very low temperature for perhaps 4 hours. If you have the
stamina, then go for it.
Allow the breads to cool thoroughly on cooling racks for several
hours, and then, because of the high moisture content, store in the
refrigerator. For best results, slice this bread thinly or break with
hands Makes 2 small loaves


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