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This sprouted bread used whole sprouted wheat berries to make a living manna bread! With just two main ingredients, sprouted wheat and sea salt, this is bread at its most simple and nutritious. Make a sweet or savoury version.
While you may look at these slices and think "how can I make this into a sandwich?", you probably can't. While the slices are small, they are packed with nutrients and fibre and will keep you much fuller than four slices of the store-bought stuff.
For some more healthy vegan bread recipes, try my gluten-free millet bread made with sourdough, protein bread, or grain-free buckwheat bread.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- How to Make Manna Bread
- Top Tips
- How to Store
- FAQ
- Top Your Bread
- Recipe
Ingredients
This recipe needs two main ingredients: wheat berries and sea salt, both easy to find (look for the wheat at bulk food stores). With the addition of cinnamon and raisins, it turns into the ideal breakfast toast bread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Grains: standard wheat berries might be easiest to find, but you can also make this with spelt or rye grains instead with no changes to the recipe needed. Or try a mix!
- Add-ins: the recipe card calls for cinnamon and raisins, but you could use other spices or dried herbs to make any flavour you like.
How to Make Manna Bread
Step 1: measure out the wheat and add it to a large jar.
Step 2: cover with water and let it rest overnight.
Step 3: drain, rinse, and drain again, then leave upside down to sprout.
Step 4: rinse a couple times a day until the berries have sprouted.
Step 5: add the sprouted wheat, salt, and add-ins to a food processor.
Step 6: blend until fairly smooth and very sticky.
Step 7: transfer the dough to a tray and shape into a loaf. Add any toppings now.
Step 8: bake at a low temperature for three hours (see below for dehydration tips).
Top Tips
- Use whole grain: Use whole wheat grain, also referred to as berries. You can often find them in bulk sections of natural grocery stores. You don't want them to be crushed or broken, as those will not sprout.
- Make sure it's well mixed: whole pieces of grain will be crunchy after baking, so be sure to mix very well before forming into a loaf.
- Dehydrate it: split the recipe into two loaves, then dehydrate in your dehydrator at the highest temperature (make sure to use a liner on the trays) until it's dried out and ready to slice.
How to Store
Storage: keep the bread in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. I don't recommend storing this at room temperature.
Freezing: because this is an time-intensive recipe, I recommend making a large batch (double or triple) and freezing cooked, cooled loaves in a freezer bag for several months.
FAQ
Why aren't my wheat berries sprouting?
If your grains don't sprout there are two things which could be the problem: 1. the wheat is old. in this case use fresher wheat or 2. the wheat is damaged. You want to use whole wheat berries here. If they are broken or the germ is damaged, they won't sprout. Look for intact wheat berries.
What is sprouted bread or manna bread?
It's a recipe based on ancient versions of early bread, made with only sprouted whole grains and no sugar or yeast. Basically this sprouted bread is made only from sprouted wheat berries (the entire grain - bran, germ, and endosperm) with a little bit of salt and some raisins for flavour.
Is sprouted bread healthier than sourdough?
Both breads are easier for most people to digest than standard yeast and white flour bread, and sprouted bread contains higher amounts of fibre and protein than most sourdough bread recipes.
Top Your Bread
- Easy Butternut Squash Dip with Harissa
- Springy Tofu Salad Sandwich
- Turmeric Cashew Spread
- Spicy Vegan Chickpea Salad
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Recipe
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4.57 from 95 votes
Sprouted Wheat Bread (Manna Bread)
Sprouted wheat manna bread, also known as essene bread. Just two ingredients is all it takes to make this classic healthy sprouted bread. While this bread does take about three daysto prep and make, it comes together with very little work. I’d recommendmaking a couple of loaves at a time and popping extra ones in the freezer once they’re cooked. Below I’ve included the ingredients to make a sweet loaf. If you’d rather have a savoury slice of toast, skip the raisins and cinnamon, and feel free to add spices, dried herbs, or chopped nuts once the mixture is pureed.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time3 hours hrs
Resting Time2 days d
Total Time2 days d 3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Servings: 12
Author: Sophie MacKenzie
Equipment
Measuring cups and spoons
Baking sheet
Cheesecloth or milk nut bag or sprouter
Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups wheat berries or spelt or rye
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Sprouting
Add the wheat berries to a large jar and fill it with water. Let them sit in the water overnight on the counter. The next day, drain the water and cover the top of the jar with cheesecloth or a milk nut bag. If you have a spouter, you can use that too. Just note that the wheat will double in size, so make sure you have a big jar.
2 cups wheat berries
Once the jar is covered with a breathable lid, rinse the sprouts again, and leave them in upside down in a dish to drain (at around a 45-degree angle). Give the sprouts a rinse twice a day with fresh water. Drain the excess water off each time and leave them to drain fully in the dish.
Checking Sprouts
Around the second day the wheat should have sprouted (it can take a little longer depending on temperature) and the sprouts should be as long as the kernel. This is as long as you want the sprouts to get. Any longer than this the sprouts have the risk of tasting bitter and green. Try tokeep an eye on them, they grow fast.
As soon as your seeds are as long as the grain, you can begin making the bread. If you don’t want to make bread ASAP, the sprouts can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. They will continue to grow in the fridge, so keep an eye on them (I’d give them a day or two in there at max).
Making Bread
Rinse the sprouts one last time and drain them well. Combine them in a food processor with the salt, raisins, and cinnamon. Puree the mixture until a coarse dough forms. I stop pureeing as soon as the dough begins to form a ball.
1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ cup raisins, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Grease your hands well and on a parchment-lined tray, form the dough into a loaf shape – around 12 cm wide and 22 cm long (or 5x9 inches) and around 4 cm tall (1 ¼- 1 ½ in.). If you make it thicker than this, it might not dry out correctly.
Bake at 120°C (250°F) for three hours. Let the bread cool before slicing. Because of the lack of preservatives, this bread is best wrapped and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 159kcal
