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How to Make No Starter Fermented Buckwheat Bread

Learn how to make fermented buckwheat bread that uses no starter and is also gluten-free and sugar-free.

One of the greatest things I discovered after adopting plant-based diet was raw buckwheat – you can make boiled porridge, raw buckwheat porridge or ricotta, ricotta creams for cakes or to eat as is; to make cookies and pancakes, use soaked groats for buckwheat muffins and cakes, just boil for side or make patties, and even make yeast-free fermented buckwheat bread.

How to Make Fermented Buckwheat Bread

What is Buckwheat?

Buckwheat spread to Europe and Russia in the 14th and the 15th century from China, and the Dutch brought it to USA in the 17th century. Many of you might not know that buckwheat is actually not a grain, but a fruit seed related to rhubarb and sorrel and therefore is gluten-free and safe for those with celiac disease.

Buckwheat consists mainly of carbohydrates, but like seeds, it is also high in protein. Buckwheat is a very good source of manganese and a good source of magnesium, dietary fibre, copper, and phosphorus. Furthermore, it contains health-promoting flavonoids rutin and querceitin. Rutin functions with vitamin C to maintain healthy capillaries, to help heal wounds, to help form collagen in connective tissue, and to support a healthy immune system. Quercetin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Buckwheat groats have low glycemic index, meaning that unlike wheat flour, its carbohydrates break down slower, which make them more filling for a longer period of time, with less of an undesirable impact on blood glucose and insulin. Buckwheat groat protein also has a better structure than wheat protein, which has a poor amount of the amino acid lysine, with twice the amount of fibre compared to wheat.

The Ingredients

This fermented buckwheat bread consists of very simple wholesome ingredients.

The main component is raw buckwheat groats i.e., not roasted buckwheat.

Then, for flavour, we’re using Himalayan salt and oregano.

Finally, let’s add some sunflower seeds. However, you can use any seeds of preference or, for a leaner version, discard them altogether.

The Process

Start by soaking raw buckwheat groats overnight or at least for 2 hours. It’s very important to rinse the soaked groats well (they get slimy after soaking) and then let drain for at least 5 minutes to get the extra water out. If you don’t follow this step with scrutiny, your batter may end up too runny and the bread won’t rise.

Next, place the drained buckwheat groats into blender with 290 ml of water. Blend on low speed until smooth batter forms.

Then, pour the batter into plastic or glass bowl (do not use metal bowl). Cover the bowl with clean cloth and place into a warm oven (35°C, 95°F).

Now it’s down to letting the batter ferment for 7 hours. After 7 hours you’ll see that the batter has risen and small bubbles have formed. If you don’t see that, let it ferment a bit longer.

Then, add all the other ingredients to this buckwheat bread recipe and gently and briefly stir with wooden or plastic spoon (do not use metal spoon). Do not over-mix as the batter will lose its fluffiness.

Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. By the way, you can put the bread back into warm (not hot!) oven and let it rise for another few hours or you can bake it immediately for 1 hour at 175°C (350°F).

NB! Let the bread be in the oven while it warms up and DO NOT use speed heating or fan! Count the hour from when the oven has reached the right temperature. I put the timer to 1 hour and 10 minutes as it takes 10 minutes to reach 175°C (350°F).

If you used parchment paper, you can remove the bread from pan immediately and place it on folded kitchen paper (I use four layers) to absorb the moistness. Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing (the longer the better).

Fermented Buckwheat Bread_1026

How to Serve

In my experience, freshly baked sourdough bread is so damn good that you don’t even need anything to accompany it with. However, should you disagree, here are some ideas:

Spread the bread with homemade hummus, avocado, nut or seed butter (tahini, almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter), homemade applesauce, hummus, homemade vegan mayonnaise, or even sweet buckwheat ricotta.

In addition, top it with red cabbage coleslaw, sauerkraut, kimchi, tofu or tempeh slices, or vegan egg salad.

You can use a few or many of the options mentioned above and build an epic healthy vegan sandwich. On the photo below I used avocado spread, fermented tofu, kimchi and broccoli sprouts for delicious toasts.

How to Store

When the bread is cooled, wrap it into a clean kitchen towel and stick it into a plastic bag to prevent losing too much moisture. It keeps well on countertop for 2 days.

For longer keeping, slice the bread up as soon as it’s cooled and store the individual slices in freezer. Heat them up in a microwave (for soft result) or in oven or toaster (for crunchy slices).

In order to toast the frozen sourdough bread slices in the oven, place them onto the rack (not on a baking sheet), set the oven to fast heat function (175°C, 350°F is enough) and timer to 10 minutes. When the time’s up, you’ll have fresh and crispy bread ready to enjoy.

I have made fermented buckwheat bread for two years now. I was a bit tired of rye bread and thought that it should be possible to ferment buckwheat as well. So, I started to search online (not to invent a wheel) and found a recipe by Concious Catering. After playing with the quantities and ingredients I developed my own favourite fermented buckwheat bread recipe.

Fermented Buckwheat Bread Batter
Fermented Buckwheat Bread Batter

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No starter fermented buckwheat bread that is flourless, yeast-free and gluten-free.

Fermented Buckwheat Bread Recipe


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  • Author: Nele Liivlaid
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 22 slices 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Learn how to make fermented buckwheat bread that uses no starter and is also gluten-free and sugar-free.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Soak buckwheat groats for at least 6 hours. It’s very important to rinse the soaked groats well (they get slimy after soaking) and let drain for at least 5 minutes to get the extra water out. If you don’t follow this step with scrutiny, your batter may end up too runny and the bread won’t rise.
  2. Place drained buckwheat groats into blender with 290ml of water. Blend on low speed until smooth batter forms.
  3. Pour the batter into plastic or glass bowl (do not use metal bowl). Cover the bowl with clean cloth and place into a warm oven (35°C, 95°F).
  4. Let the batter ferment for 7 hours. After 7 hours you’ll see that the batter has risen and small bubbles have formed. If you don’t see that, let it ferment a bit longer. Now add all the other ingredients to this buckwheat bread recipe, gently and briefly stir with wooden or plastic spoon (do not use metal spoon). Do not over-mix as the batter will lose its fluffiness.
  5. Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Now, you can put the bread back into warm (not hot!) oven and let it rise for another few hours or you can bake it immediately for 1 hour at 175°C (350°F). Let the bread be in the oven while it warms up. Count the hour from when the oven has reached the right temperature.
  6. If you used parchment paper, you can remove the bread from pan immediately and place it on folded kitchen paper (I use four layers) to absorb the moistness. Let the bread cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing (the longer the better).

Notes

One slice has 7.3 GL points.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Method: Baking

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 45g (1.6oz) slice (1/22 of recipe)
  • Calories: 69.3 kcal
  • Sodium: 26mg
  • Fat: 1.07g
  • Carbohydrates: 11.7g
  • Fiber: 1.24g
  • Protein: 2.58g

Zinc is an essential mineral that supports the immune system, digestive system, cellular growth and development, and more. This certified organic, liquid formula contains zinc derived from guava leaves, enhanced with Energized Trace Minerals for increased bioavailability.

Other combinations for flavouring:

  • Olives and oregano
  • Sundried tomatoes and oregano
  • Sesame seeds and oregano
  • Walnuts, prunes, cinnamon
  • Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, oregano
  • Raisins, cinnamon
  • Poppy seeds, goji berries

Tips on this fermented buckwheat bread:

  • If you can’t set your oven to such low temperatures, ferment the bread batter at room temperature. I’d still recommend putting the bowl into oven for the most stable environment (less temperature changes or breeze). It’ll take about 16-24 hours.
  • It is at its best when fresh.
  • Slice the leftover bread and store in freezer. Heat up in the oven or toast slices whenever needed.
  • Eat as it is or with hummus, guacamole or nut/seed spread for example.
  • Should you like more sour taste, ferment the batter for longer.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and Global Healing affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. For every purchase made from the links in this post, you’ll be able to support my work. So you can look after your health, and contribute to my mission at the same time. Thank you!

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No starter fermented buckwheat bread that is flourless, yeast-free and gluten-free.

This post is also available in: Spanish

314 Comments

  1. Hi if the buckwheat groats I purchased are ‘activated’ does this mean I don’t have to pre soak them?
    Thanks

    • Hi Ella!

      The point of soaking the groats (besides making them easier to digest) is that you can easily blend them into a batter. So, if your activated groats are dehydrated, you’ll need to soak them before blending.

      I hope this helps!
      Nele

  2. Question: Could I mix the salt and spices in after blending the soaked groats but BEFORE letting it rise? (so that I don’t have to worry about ruining the rising? I just made this bread yesterday and happy with it except it didn’t rise enough so too heavy.) Thank you!!! Love your posts!

    • Hi Heidi! Yes, you can! This is what I did for my new buckwheat and lentil bread recipe (watch here). However, the mixing after fermentation was still necessary as the batter was thicker on top and had some liquid in the bottom.

      What you can do is letting it rise for an extra hour after you’ve transferred the batter into the bread tin (before baking).

  3. Ashton Bossuyt

    Hi Nele, can you use already ground buckwheat flour?

    • Hi! With the quantities stated in this recipe, it only works with buckwheat groats. You’d probably need more water (as the groats soak in a lot of water) + flour naturally absorbs more liquid than whole groats. Also, you’s need to make sure it’s raw buckwheat flour as the toasted variety wouldn’t ferment.

  4. Hi there, I love this bread, I have been making it for over a year now, thank you so much for sharing the recipe! However I just moved and my new oven does not have a proof setting, and won’t go down as low as 95. Do you know if I could proof it in an instant pot on the yogurt setting, and if so, how long would I leave it? Thank you in advance for any advice!

    • Hi Mia!

      I’m so glad to hear that you love the bread! Depends on what the temperature in the instant pot is. If it’s around 35C, it’ll work. However, 42C would be too much I think. If you leave the batter at room temperature, it can take anywhere between 14-19 hours.

      I hope this helps!

      BTW — have you tried my sprouted buckwheat and lentil bread? The sprouting diminishes the fermentation time greatly. I leave it on my kitchen counter overnight and it is ready to bake in the morning.

      All the best,
      Nele

    • Did you try the instant pot proof? Did it work?

  5. Blending after the initial soaking with 1 1/3 cups water the recipe says you should end up with 5 cups of batter. I get just over 3 cups. What am I missing?

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