Growing up I
remember many a morning waking up to the smell of buckwheat pancakes. Those
stacks of sweet, nutty wholesomeness slathered with rich maple syrup made for
the best breakfast ever.
That was
over 40 years ago and today buckwheat is making a comeback into folks’
kitchens. A lot of this renewed interest is because of the gluten free
movement. It is more readily available than other non-wheat flours. Wait a
minute, did I say non-wheat? Yep, buckwheat is literally in a class of its own.
Buckwheat is
a pseudo-cereal, neither grass nor grain and has nothing to do with wheat.
Instead, it is a fruit that is related to wild rhubarb. Its name came from the
Dutch which means “the fruit of.” It is a popular plant to grow in many parts
of the world because it is hardy and survives difficult conditions without
requiring many pesticides or herbicides.
It matures
quickly and is often planted as a cover crop. The entire plant is harvested and
allowed to dry before removing the outer husks. The inner part of the fruit is
what is used to make flour. Buckwheat
flour can be either light or dark, depending on how much hull is preserved.
Light buckwheat flour is made from hulled kernels and the dark is derived from
un-hulled and has dark specks in it. As it stands to reason, the dark has more
fiber than the light.
Besides
being gluten-free and high in fiber, it has a host of other health benefits to
offer. Buckwheat is rich in, potassium, phosphorous, iron and calcium. It is
one of the best sources of protein from plants and contains all of the
essential amino acids.
It’s so good
for your heart, you love it and it loves you right back. Buckwheat will lower
blood pressure and also lower the risk of developing high cholesterol because
it is rich in flavonoids, which are phytonutrients that act as antioxidants.
As if this
weren’t enough good news, buckwheat has high levels of magnesium which relax
blood vessels, which in turn improves blood flow. The nutrients in it also help
control blood sugar levels, making it a great choice for diabetics.
Buckwheat
can be purchased as whole groats (little pyramid-shaped seeds) and ground into
flour or it can also be purchased as milled flour. Either way, there are many
ways to use this versatile plant.
Groats can
be toasted or eaten raw. When toasted, buckwheat groats are crunchy and
flavorful like tiny nuts. They add a distinct flavor when topping salads or
added to granola. They can be cooked and used to make a kasha side dish which
is similar to pilaf or porridge. Some folks add them to cookie or cracker dough
for a little extra crunch.
They can be
purchased pre-toasted or you can do your own. To toast, place them in a dry
skillet over medium heat and stir constantly until they are a shade darker than
when you started. Just be careful not to toast until the hulls burst or they
will taste burnt.
When the
groats are ground, they produce a crystalline flour that is slate and lavender
to brown in color and is flaked with darker bits of hull.
Baking with
buckwheat flour can be rewarding and yield amazing results or the experience
can be quite the opposite. The key is knowing how buckwheat flour performs with
other ingredients. When switching from an all-wheat flour to a non-wheat, folks
tend to want to go whole-hog, so to speak. When you switch out all the flour,
it is a recipe for disaster unless other changes are made so the outcome
doesn’t fall apart, taste like sawdust or otherwise misbehave. Excessive mixing
or beating may make it taste bad and have a denser texture.
Pancakes,
waffles, crepes and other baked goods that you don’t desire to rise a lot are
the exception to the rule. All of these call for just enough mixing to blend
the wet and dry ingredients without beating or whipping. They get plenty of
structure from eggs, so 100 percent of the flour called for can be replaced
with buckwheat or other gluten-free flour.
For other
baked goods that need to rise more, the general rule is to replace 25 percent
of the flour in recipes with buckwheat and leave the remaining 75 percent all
purpose flour instead of other gluten-free varieties. Some cooks prefer to go
with a larger percentage of buckwheat and some even go 100 percent. If you
follow this path, the rule of thumb is to add extra eggs and extra baking
powder for “lift.” In this case, add an extra one-half teaspoon baking powder
for every half cup of buckwheat flour used. These rules will make for a better
outcome when baking cookies, muffins, scones, cakes and quick breads.
Although buckwheat
pancake mix is readily available, it can be a challenge to find plain buckwheat
flour. Be sure and check local flour millers in your area because that will
ensure that the flour is fresh. However, it can also be purchased in natural food
stores, in the natural foods sections of some grocery stores and on-line.
It is
certainly worth the extra bit of effort it takes to include buckwheat in your
recipes and make it a staple in your pantry. More folks are falling in love
with the robust, earthy, grassy, slightly bitter (in a good way) flavor with a
hint of rose that is buckwheat.
BUCKWHEAT BREAD
2 ½ cups
buckwheat groats, rinsed
1 ¼ cups
water
½ tsp. Salt
*Place
rinsed buckwheat in large glass bowl. Cover with water until it is 2 inches
above the buckwheat. Loosely cover with a towel. Soak at least 2 hours or up to
24.
*Drain off
liquid through a mesh strainer until most of liquid is out, set strainer over
bowl and continue to drain for a minute longer. Liquid will be gooey. DO NOT
RINSE
*Place
drained buckwheat and 1 ¼ cups water and salt in food processor or blender.
Blend just until it still has some texture.
*Pour in
large glass bowl, cover with towel. Let set for 8 to 24 hours. It will rise
slightly and be bubbly.
*Spray or
grease a 9 x 5 bread pan, pour in batter, taking care not to deflate bubbles
*Bake in
425* oven 35 to 40 minutes or until browned at edges and firm in center
*Cool
completely, toast or eat as is
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