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Baking Vegan: How to Make Cakes, Biscuits and Bread without Animal Cruelty

Vegans don’t always have it easy when it comes to baked goods. Because even if some bakeries now offer vegan alternatives, many cakes, biscuits and even breads still contain animal products such as butter and eggs. So how about just baking it yourself? This article will show you exactly how vegan baking works and what to look out for.

Why bake vegan at all? Being vegan means consistently avoiding products of animal origin. According to statista.de, more than 1.13 million people in Germany now live vegan – and the trend is still rising.

While a large number of meat substitutes and milk substitutes have long since found their way onto supermarket shelves, vegan baked goods are still the exception rather than the rule. Vegan baking is actually quite easy, is neither more complicated nor more expensive than traditional baking and the results are just as delicious. So why not just do it yourself?

Baking Vegan: Tips & Tricks

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been vegan for a long time, want to please vegans in your circle of acquaintances or simply want to try out vegan baking recipes – with our tips you can make your favorite baked goods without animal products.

Rely on vegetable fats: Butter is a dairy product – and therefore taboo in vegan baking. Instead, use purely vegetable, preferably palm oil-free (organic) margarine. Of course you can also use oils. The following applies: 100 grams of margarine are replaced with 75 to 80 milliliters of oil (e.g. rapeseed or sunflower oil). Nut butter, such as almond butter, is also an interesting alternative to conventional butter – make sure you use organic and fair trade quality. If you want to improve your ecological balance and save calories at the same time, simply replace 100 grams of butter with a mixture of 120 grams of oat yoghurt and a tablespoon of semolina. Another option is to make your own vegan butter.

Egg substitute instead of eggs: In traditional baked goods, eggs are used to bind the dough better. As you will quickly find out when baking vegan, this is often not absolutely necessary. If you still want to use an egg substitute, you can buy one in most organic stores and some supermarkets – or you can simply make your own egg substitute using simple ingredients that you probably have at home anyway: banana , applesauce or flaxseed can effectively replace eggs in baking. Read more: Make your own egg substitute: 6 ideas for vegan eggs
Plant-based drinks instead of cow’s milk: plant-based milk alternatives have long been found in every supermarket and most drugstores, often even in organic quality. Depending on what you’re baking, cow’s milk can usually be easily substituted one-to-one with milk alternatives such as oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk.
Plant-based cream: Plant-based cream substitutes can also be found in most supermarkets, for example based on oats, soy or rice. Alternatively, you can easily make vegan cream yourself. More on this: Vegan Cream: Recommended Alternatives
Aquafaba instead of egg whites: There are some baking recipes that use egg whites. This is the case, for example, with biscuit doughs. But there is also a vegan variant here: aquafaba. Aquafaba is the soaking liquid from chickpeas and beans. Aquafaba is whipped into the perfect vegan egg whites and is even suitable for mousse au chocolat.

Baking with vegan chocolate: What would chocolate chip cookies be without delicious pieces of chocolate in the batter? In general, many dark chocolates are vegan by nature, although you should pay close attention to the list of ingredients. Those who value sustainability and fair production conditions should choose organic and fair trade chocolate. In the (organic) supermarket you will also find vegan white chocolate and purely plant-based “milk” chocolate with different cocoa contents.
Agar-agar instead of gelatine: Anyone who bakes fruit cakes sometimes seals the fruit layer with a gelatine-based icing. However, since gelatine consists of animal bone and cartilage residues, among other things, this is not an option for vegan baking. Instead, you simply replace the gelatine with agar-agar, a purely vegetable powder made from red and blue-green algae. Here too, pay attention to organic quality in order to get a residue-free product. More on this: Gelatin substitute: vegan plant-based alternatives

What else should you keep in mind when baking vegan?

To ensure that the cruelty-free baked goods are 100 percent successful, you should not overdo it when mixing the ingredients, otherwise a vegan dough can quickly lose consistency and become tough. So sometimes it can be worth using the whisk, spatula or fork instead of the food processor to mix the ingredients.

Depending on the type of oven, your vegan pastries may also cook faster than traditional recipes state. It is best to set the timer 15 minutes before the regular end of the baking time to make sure that cakes, biscuits, rolls and the like do not become too crispy.

Incidentally, when baking bread and rolls, most recipes are already vegan – or can be veganized quickly. Instead of the honey used in some bread recipes, you can use some organic sugar beet syrup, for example, and replace the quark in quark rolls with vegan organic soy quark. Buttermilk is easily replaced with a plant-based milk alternative with a dash of vinegar.

Is Vegan Baking Healthier?

You can decide for yourself how healthy your vegan baked goods will be. For example, if you use whole grain instead of white flour and at least partially replace the sugar content in sweets with low-calorie sugar alternatives such as organic erythritol, you can definitely produce healthier baked goods.

In general, the major health benefit of vegan baking is that purely plant-based ingredients are virtually cholesterol-free, while animal products such as eggs, milk and butter contain a lot of saturated fatty acids and trans fats. With high and regular consumption, these can promote heart and vascular diseases.

Vegan is not always sustainable

While vegan ingredients are always free of animal components, they are not always sustainable, since some of the products have extremely long transport routes to the local shops (e.g. coconut oil, cocoa, chia seeds, Agr-agar) or come from conventional cultivation and are therefore are not free from environmentally harmful pesticides.

If you also want to implement the topic of sustainability in baking, you should therefore rely on fairly traded organic products and prefer regional and seasonal ingredients.

Veganized Recipes vs. Vegan Recipes

Veganized recipes are conventional recipes that are made with purely plant-based ingredients instead of the traditional ingredients. This is particularly recommended for vegan baking beginners and for everyone who would like to recreate the taste of baked goods they love. For example, have you ever baked vegan cheesecake, apple pie, vegan biscuits or purely plant-based stollen yourself? It’s easier than you might think – and the taste is in no way inferior to the original recipes.

Of course, vegan baking is also possible with a variety of more experimental, vegan recipes in which sugar is replaced with dates, for example, and unusual types of flour such as lupine, almond or coconut flour are used. These recipes are not replicas of well-known originals, but developed vegan from the outset and represent their own category. They therefore offer a less comparable, but precisely because of this, interesting taste experience. They are often all about “Clean Baking”. Due to the often exotic ingredients, you should pay close attention to the origin and, if possible, prefer regional products.

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Lifestyle

Make Cheap Textile Fresheners Yourself

Conventional textile fresheners are usually expensive and often smell unpleasant. That’s why we’ve collected tips on how to make your own textile fresheners. This way you can quickly and easily get rid of bad smells from your textiles.

Since you can successfully counteract odors in textiles, curtains, curtains, or sofa covers with a homemade and inexpensive one, you don’t need expensive refreshers from the drugstore.

Fresh fragrance for your textiles

After a while, textiles such as curtains, curtains, or sofa covers can start to smell bad. You can then wash them or spray them with a fabric freshener. The second variant is quick and easy. This saves you a lot of time and ensures a pleasant smell. But purchased textile fresheners and fragrance sprays are usually expensive and you don’t always like the smell. That’s why we have tips on how to make your own textile freshener. As a result, you can easily neutralize odors in the home.

1) Make your own textile freshener with fabric softener

You can create your own fragrance mixture for textiles yourself quickly and inexpensively. All you need is a small old spray bottle and fabric softener. Then fill the spray bottle with 1-2 caps of fabric softener. Then add water and mix well. And your own fragrance spray is ready. Consequently, you can spray your couch, curtains, carpets, or other textiles with it and make them smell good. No residues have formed after prolonged testing. So it is a very easy way to make the textile freshener yourself. Also, note tips on making your own room fragrance and instructions on how to make your own fabric softener.

2) Homemade baking soda scent freshener

Dirt and bacteria often cause bad smells from the sofa or curtains. Then usually only one thing helps: wash hot. But not all textiles can be put in the washing machine. Therefore, a homemade fragrance freshener will help you to remove bad smells. Accordingly, you need 350 ml of boiled, lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon of the household remedy baking soda, and 40 ml of alcohol. In addition, essential oils can refine your textile freshener.

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Cooking Tips

Who Has to Make Coffee at Work?

For some people, making coffee is on their daily to-do list. Not every company can afford the “luxury” of excellent freshly ground whole bean coffee that can be easily prepared at the touch of a button.

Is making coffee an intern’s job?

Especially for meetings, a sufficient amount of coffee should ensure a high level of productivity and concentration for all participants. Yes, and very important – it must also be tasty. So where does coffee come from in many German companies and who has a license to produce coffee?

If you still remember the time of the intern, then this was clearly part of the daily tasks. The first coffee pot had to be ready at a quarter to eight (or whenever the boss came to work). A fresh carton of milk should have already been opened on the top shelf of the refrigerator, and the sugar bowl, sweetener dispenser and honey should have been filled accordingly. Of course, it has always been important to ensure that there are enough clean cups, saucers and teaspoons available. If you have a particularly important customer visit, you should take a French press and a milk frother and brew a creation that is special in terms of look and taste. Of course, with a thin layer of milk foam. That’s how it is when you’re an intern, sometimes you have to do things that aren’t part of the standard job description. Then fill everything with water. Satisfying different preferences and tastes was like a knowledge test that was given every morning.

However, in many cases there are no interns, so their place is too often taken by interns. After all, the years of apprenticeship are not the years of men. And it’s not too bad to sweeten your co-workers’ stressful day-to-day work by simply making delicious coffee drinks. However, often administrators, secretaries, or personal assistants must ensure that sufficient coffee is available. In some cases, it is not even regulated who is responsible for the supply of coffee.

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Food

Washing or Soaking Rice – Does That Make Sense?

Before preparing it, you should wash and soak rice. We explain why and what you should pay attention to.

At first glance, it is actually quite easy to cook rice. If we take a closer look at the topic, it becomes apparent that there are quite a few things to consider when preparing rice. It’s not just about the consistency and taste of the cooked rice, but also about the health aspects. Find out here why you should definitely wash and soak rice.

Washing and soaking rice: That’s why it’s so important

Some people cook rice directly without washing it first. Others swear by washing the grains thoroughly beforehand. Very few, however, remember to soak the rice beforehand. These are important steps, because with the right preparation you can reduce the arsenic contained in rice.

Background: In recent years, various studies and investigations have repeatedly found arsenic residues in rice. Arsenic is a semi-metal that occurs naturally. This element is classified as “carcinogenic to humans” according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This is why there have been maximum levels for arsenic residues in rice and rice products in the EU since 2016.
Arsenic can also be found in other foods such as bread or cow’s milk, but rice is particularly contaminated. This is because the rice fields are flooded during cultivation and the arsenic is released from the soil. Arsenic was found in all six products examined in a WDR random sample study. More information on this topic: Arsenic in food.
Due to the arsenic residues found, the Federal Office for Risk Assessment (BfR) advises against consuming rice too frequently and in too large quantities. Instead, you should replace rice and rice products with other grains and foods – especially for babies and children. Incidentally, brown rice and parboiled rice are particularly affected, since the arsenic is mainly deposited in the outer layers of the grain. However, these types of rice also contain more valuable nutrients than white, polished rice.
But you don’t have to do without rice completely, because the method of preparation plays a major role and can significantly reduce the arsenic content in rice. It is important to wash the rice before preparation – and preferably even soak it.

Soaking, washing and cooking rice: arsenic content

There are two popular methods of cooking rice: the swelling method and the water method. (More info on the two methods: Cook rice)

Culinary connoisseurs argue about which method gives the rice the best consistency and tastes best. Scientists, on the other hand, want to find the preparation method that can remove the most arsenic from the rice.

A study from 2015 took on this task and tested various methods. The results for this:

Thorough washing can leach some arsenic from the rice.
The arsenic contained can be reduced even more by soaking the rice for several hours beforehand.
The rice-water ratio when cooking is also crucial. With the swelling method (water 2:1 rice) almost all of the arsenic remains. For the test, the researchers cooked the rice in the ratios 3:1, 6:1 and 12:1. The more water you use, the more arsenic you can end up rinsing out with the cooking water.
The researchers achieved the best result by soaking the rice overnight, then washing it and then boiling it in water at a ratio of 12:1. With this method, over 80 percent of the arsenic could be reduced.
These findings apply to all rice varieties examined. The exact percentage of arsenic content varies depending on the type of rice. You can find this in the linked study.

Step-by-step instructions: wash and prepare rice

According to research, you should soak and wash rice beforehand. Also, a relatively high water to rice ratio is important for cooking. However, so that you don’t have to use too much energy to heat the water, we do not recommend the 12:1 ratio, but a ratio of 5:1. This represents a good compromise and is also recommended by the BBC, based on the findings of Prof Meharg, one of the authors of the study mentioned above.

Prepare rice correctly – instructions:

Soak the rice in enough water overnight. To do this, cover the rice with water by about an inch.
Drain the water the next day.
Then wash the rice with water until the waste water is clear and no longer cloudy. This not only flushes out arsenic, but also excess starch and any impurities.
Place the rice in a saucepan with water in a 1:5 ratio.
Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to low. Then let the rice simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. The exact cooking time varies depending on the type of rice.
Drain the cooking water and drain the rice in a colander.

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Lifestyle

Make the Household Sustainable

In order to reduce the burden on the environment, not only do large companies and governments have to adapt their behavior, but private individuals should also start making their contributions. This starts very practically in the household. Read here about how you can make your household more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Cleaning products

Many cleaning products are made with strong chemicals. By using these in the home, chemicals enter our water system and where possible even our groundwater. There they then poison the soil and the plants and trees growing in it. Often such strong cleaning agents are not necessary. Especially when the dirt is still fresh, natural cleaning agents can be used for cleaning. In some moments, of course, the use of cleaning products cannot be avoided. Then you should try to use the product sparingly. This not only protects the environment but is also easier on your wallet. As a result, the next time you buy cleaning agents, use citric acid-based agents. So keep the remedy as natural as possible.

Electrical appliances

In order to be more environmentally friendly when using your electrical appliances, you can, for example, do without preheating the oven. Most dishes also turn out wonderfully delicious even though the oven has not been preheated. You also do without a wash cycle with a half-loaded washing machine. To be honest, you have enough clothes in your closet to go for at least a week without washing. Before you start your next laundry, you should have enough laundry to fill the washing machine completely. So you wash your clothes less. As a result, it breaks less quickly. Then buy new clothes less often. And that also helps the environment. Please also note clever tips for saving electricity.

Qualitative products

We all know from childhood that quality lasts longer. Of course, quality often means more money. Therefore, many people mostly choose to save money and buy fewer quality products. What is often forgotten is that these products also break down more quickly and that a replacement product has to be bought sooner.

Which in the long run means that the lower quality product costs more money. The purchase of high-quality products is particularly worthwhile in the kitchen, as these are often exposed to high temperatures and are used every day. Cast iron saucepans, such as a Le Creuset roaster, are usually easier to clean and can withstand high temperatures. Cast iron products can therefore be used for a long time, which means that you have to throw away less and then buy again. Such a Le Creuset roaster can also be used for several different purposes, which is why you then generally have to buy fewer pans and pots.

Of course, a household is a big and complex thing in which we make use of many things over which we have no control. Nevertheless, you can start making your household a little more sustainable step by step and thus protect the environment in the household. Don’t take on too much at once. It is enough if you start slowly. All that matters is that you start.

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Food

Drying Sourdough: This is How You Make It Durable for a Long Time

You can simply dry sourdough and store it for a long time. We will introduce you to three methods of preserving sourdough: by crumbling, drying and freezing.

You only have to prepare sourdough once and can then “feed” it again and again with flour and water and thus multiply it. This makes it last forever. The sourdough contains microorganisms (such as lactic acid bacteria and yeast) that form during the fermentation process and make the dough slightly acidic. However, if you don’t bake regularly or want to send the sourdough to friends or relatives, you can preserve the sourdough by drying it. The shelf life of the sourdough varies depending on the method, ranging from three months to several years.

For each of the three methods, you must first prepare a sourdough. You can find instructions here: Prepare the sourdough. We strongly recommend that you buy the ingredients in organic quality. Among other things, you avoid residues of chemical-synthetic pesticides and support ecological agriculture.

Method: Crumble sourdough

The first method is the “crumbling” and subsequent drying of leaven:

Pour your prepared sourdough into a bowl.
Gradually add the flour and mix everything together with a wooden spoon. Use enough flour so that the dough is only slightly moist and crumbs can form.
Gradually rub the dough between your palms. This creates crumbs. Do the same with the entire dough.
It is best to spread the crumbs on a baking sheet and let them dry for several hours. This way you prevent mold.
Fill the so-called Krümelsauer into a lockable screw-top jar. You should only close the jar loosely or drill a hole in it if the dough continues to ferment a little. Alternatively, use a cloth bag. The dried sourdough can be stored in the refrigerator for about three months.

To use the dough again, add enough water to the crumbs until it becomes a paste. Store the dough at room temperature for about 2 to 8 hours. It is then activated again and can be processed further.

Method: Dry sourdough as flakes or powder

The second method involves making flakes or powder from the sourdough:

Spread the sourdough thinly on half of a sheet of baking paper and fold it over. If you have more dough, use a second sheet of baking paper.
Allow the sourdough to dry at room temperature. This takes about a day or two. The dough needs to be really dry, otherwise mold can form.
Dried, sourdough is lighter in color, cracks, and breaks easily when touched.
Note: You can usually reuse the parchment paper. To do this, carefully peel off the dry sourdough so that the baking paper does not tear. Or you can use a sustainable baking paper alternative.

Break off small pieces of the dried sourdough. Now you have two options:

For tiles: Place the small pieces in a sealable container, cloth bag, or paper bag.
For powder: grind the small dividers into powder with a mortar or grinder.
Dried sourdough lasts for several years. You can store it in the fridge or at room temperature in a dark place (for example, in the pantry).

To reactivate the leaven, you need to add water and flour. First add the same amount of water to the dried dough (ratio 1:1). If he starts blistering at room temperature, you can “feed” him with more water and flour. This can take several hours.

Note: Since most microorganisms die off during drying, the sourdough may not always start to ferment. This is always the case when there are no or no longer sufficient microorganisms in the dough.

Method: Sourdough Freezing

Pour your sourdough into a sealable container that is freezer-safe. Alternatively, you can fill the batter into an ice cube tray. Place the dough in your freezer or freezer compartment.

Freezing disrupts the fermenting properties of sourdough, as some of the microorganisms die off. So give the dough 1-3 days after defrosting to recover slowly. You can add some flour and water and activate it at room temperature. You can then feed him more flour and water.

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Celery Juice: Effects and How to Make It

Celery juice is a well-known “miracle drug” in the fitness world. But does the juice work or is it just a myth? Here you can find out everything you need to know about the effects of celery juice. We also show you how to make it.

Celery is a versatile and healthy vegetable. There is celeriac and celery. For celery juice, use celery sticks, also known as celery sticks, and they are in season from May through November. So you can buy it regionally almost all year round. If you then also pay attention to the organic seal, you have done everything right when shopping.

Effect of Celery Juice

Celery originally comes from the Mediterranean region. Celery juice is extracted from celery. Because of its healthy ingredients, celery is suitable for a healthy and balanced diet. In addition, 100 grams of celery have just 18 kilocalories.

Among other things, celery contains many minerals and vitamins. It is rich in:

potassium
magnesium
sodium
calcium
antioxidants
Vitamin A
vitamin C
vitamin k
Vitamin D
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B6

Since celery juice is obtained from raw, unprocessed celery, the healthy ingredients are retained. The body can absorb them almost completely through the juice.

Why celery juice is healthy

Eating celery raw has the following benefits:

Being low in calories and fat, celery juice can help you lose weight. The fiber also fills your stomach and can prevent cravings.
Due to the essential oils (terpenes), celery is said to have an antibacterial effect.
The oils and the bitter substances they contain are also said to support digestion, calm the stomach and counteract slight stomach pains.
In addition, celery has a slightly draining effect. As a result, taking celery juice can help the body get rid of unwanted fluid buildup.
Important! Not everyone can tolerate celery juice. You should seek medical advice beforehand, especially if you have kidney disease or are pregnant.

Make celery juice yourself: ingredients for the recipe

You can easily make celery juice yourself at home. For a serving of about 350 milliliters of juice you need:

about 400 g fresh celery
a blender/blender/juicer
a strainer and filter cloth or nut milk bag (to strain out the solids after pureeing if you don’t have a juicer)
If you like, you can refine the pure celery juice with other seasonal vegetables or fruit. Just try what you like best. Go very well with celery juice:

Lemons
carrots
Parsley and other green herbs
Beetroot
apples

Making celery juice: The preparation

How to prepare the celery juice:

Remove the stalk.
Peel and trim the celery stalks.
Cut the stalks into pieces about 2 centimeters in size. If you work with a juicer, the pieces can stay longer (depending on the model).
Blend the celery (and optional other ingredients) in the blender on high until fairly runny. Depending on how you feel, you can add about 100 milliliters of water. You can do the same thing when you work with a hand blender. If you have a juicer, skip this and the next step.
Strain the pureed celery through a filter cloth or strainer to get the pure juice.
It is best to drink the fresh celery juice immediately.
If you don’t drink it right away, you can store it in a sealed container in the fridge for about 24 hours.

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Lifestyle

Make Room Fragrance and Room Spray Yourself

A room fragrance ensures a pleasant sense of well-being in your own home. Bad odors are effectively covered and neutralized. But room fragrances are usually expensive. Therefore, use our recipes to make your own room spray and get a room fragrance without chemicals.

Tips for a room fragrance without chemicals

Beautiful scents can strengthen well-being and ensure a cozy home. Who does not like to come into an apartment that smells good? Room sprays and room fragrances help to neutralize the various smells from the kitchen or bathroom and to ensure that bad smells from germs and bacteria don’t stand a chance. But the fragrances available in stores are usually very expensive. Therefore use our recipes for your own room spray.

Simply make your own natural room spray

You can do without the expensive room sprays and room fragrances in the future because there are great alternatives to make yourself. You can use natural ingredients during production and avoid smelly odors in the apartment.

1) Make rose scent

If you would like to freshen up your apartment with the scent of roses, you can easily make this room fragrance without chemicals. Accordingly, take a closable container with a sufficiently large opening and fill the container alternately with rose petals and a thin layer of normal table salt. Finally, add some spirit of wine. Then your homemade fragrance is ready. Then store the jar tightly closed and in a cool place. And if you need it, put it open. Such a homemade room fragrance is ideal as an individual Christmas present.

2) Fresh room fragrance like from the trade

If you want a room scent like Rituals or Depot, that’s no problem either. For this, you need a bottle with a narrow neck and bamboo sticks or wooden skewers. Then fill the bottle up to halfway with unscented vegetable oil, such as sunflower oil or rapeseed oil. Unscented alcohol can also be used. Then add a few drops of essential oil, such as soothing lavender or similar, and mix the ingredients together by shaking. Then insert the skewers and your fragrance is ready.

3) Make a room scent with baking soda

You can also fill a discarded mason jar halfway with baking soda to create a scent for your home. Then add your own dried herbs, dried flowers, or spices. Then mix it all up and screw the lid on. You should have made holes in the lid beforehand so that the scent can spread throughout the room.

4) Make your own room spray

The easiest way to make your own room spray is to mix the following ingredients and then pour them into a spray bottle. Also, note the useful instructions on how to make your own textile freshener.

  • Approx. 300 ml water
  • Approx. 100 ml min. 40% alcohol
  • 25 g baking soda powder
  • 10 drops of essential oil of your choice

5) Make a citrus room spray

Another way to make a room spray and get rid of bad smells right away is the citrus room spray. You need a little more patience for this. Because take the peel of two lemons or oranges. Then put them in a large mason jar or in a pot and fill it with the home remedy vinegar. The bowls should be completely covered with vinegar. Then let the mixture stand for about 4 weeks and pour in some vinegar when you get a chance. Once the liquid turns dark, you can pour it into a spray bottle. If you also want to have a fresh scent in your closet, you can also work with natural products.

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Cooking Tips

Make Healthy Sourdough Yourself

Make healthy and delicious sourdough yourself with simple instructions. Because sourdough bread has the necessary acidity and is light and fluffy, it tastes particularly good. So learn now how to prepare and feed sourdough. This is how the sourdough starter succeeds the first time.

Is sourdough healthy?

A sourdough made from rye provides you with lots of healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These include vitamins B and E, iron, sodium, zinc, and folic acid, which is important for pregnant women. In addition, no artificial additives are necessary for the production of sourdough bread. Yeast is also avoided here. In addition, sourdough has a low glycemic index. This indicates the blood sugar-raising effect of foods containing carbohydrates. The low level of sourdough illustrates that blood sugar rises slowly after consumption. Since the important vitamins and minerals can also be better absorbed by the body, homemade sourdough is very healthy.

Instructions for making your own sourdough

Since sourdough is very healthy and well-tolerated, it is enjoying increasing obesity. So use our clever recipe for the right dough. You can feed this sourdough up to ten times. All you need is water and rye flour. Then mix these two components and in about three days you have the perfect sourdough with which you can bake delicious whole-food bread. But how exactly does it work? In the following video, you will find pictorial instructions for the sourdough starter. And below you will find detailed instructions.

1) Prepare the sourdough

To prepare the sourdough you have to mix the following ingredients into the dough and leave it to stand covered and warm overnight. The rest period should be at least 24 hours. After this time, the dough should form small bubbles. Important: the temperature must be around 25 degrees. But please make sure that no drafts or direct sunlight spoil the dough. In order for the fermentation of the dough to take place hygienically, you should leave the dough covered. This prevents bacteria from penetrating from the outside. Because the dough only needs heat, time, and rest. You can then move on to the next step.

  • 100 g rye – grind it fresh yourself and use it
  • Mix in 150g of water.
  • or take 100 g rye flour and 100 g lukewarm water as described in the video instructions.

2) Lengthen sourdough

On the second day, you can extend the sourdough. Then add another 100 g rye, finely ground, and 150 g water. Then mix these ingredients into the already prepared base dough. The part still shows little change, since slight blistering or pink coloring usually only occurs after the 3rd day of fermentation. After the addition, the dough must have rest, warmth, and at least 24 hours to allow the fermentation process to progress.

Tip: Right from the start, you should mix the rye and water in a large enough bowl so that the sourdough can double in volume without spilling out of the bowl. Similar to yeast dough, each fermentation process needs space in the dough. The last step can follow after another 24 hours.

3) Feed sourdough

In the last step, you have to feed the sourdough again. Add another 150 g of finely ground rye and about 3 tablespoons of warm water. Since the dough piece is already slightly liquid, adding 3 tablespoons of water is sufficient. Then mix the entire dough again and then let it rest, covered, for 24 hours in a warm place.

After three days, when all three steps are complete, the sourdough should smell slightly sour and show up as slight pink discoloration. At the same time, the frothy bubble formation reflects the optimal fermentation process. Then the sourdough is ready and can be used as a basis for baking bread.

“Lock up” sourdough base

If this sourdough is now ready, you can lock a small part in a “glass”. It is best to close the jar tightly with a screw cap. After that, you can store it in the fridge. The sourdough lasts there for a few weeks and can later be used very well as a base for the next sourdough.

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Food

Make and Replace Baking Malt Yourself: Here’s How

Baking malt is a leavening agent that improves the texture and flavor of homemade bread. If you have a little time, you can easily make baking malt yourself – we’ll explain how it works.

Baked malt is made from sprouted grains that you dry in the oven, roast, and then finely grind. Baking malt fulfills two main tasks when baking bread: On the one hand, it refines the taste of the bread and also gives it a stronger colour. On the other hand, it can ensure that the dough rises better. This works especially well with wheat dough.

This is because the enzymes in the sprouted grains remain active when you dry them at low temperatures. Together with the yeast, they ensure that the bread rises particularly well. However, baking malt is not the only leavening agent – it only supports the function of the yeast. Recipes with baking malt therefore usually also contain yeast. You don’t have to change the amount of yeast if you also use baking malt.

Baking malt can be bought ready-made, but you can also easily make it yourself. All you need is grains, water and a few days of patience – because depending on the type of grain, it takes a while for the grains to germinate.

Important: Always use untreated organic grain if you make baking malt yourself. On the one hand, you support sustainable agriculture that works without synthetic pesticides. On the other hand, conventionally processed cereal grains are often not germinable because they are usually dried at high temperatures. Your enzymes can then no longer be activated.

Make baking malt yourself: This is how it works

Ingredients:

200 gorganic cereal grains (e.g. wheat or spelt)
water

Directions:

Place the grains in a sieve. Place the sieve in a bowl and fill it with enough water to cover the grains by about an inch or two. Leave them like that for twelve hours.
Remove the strainer from the bowl and drain the water. Dry the bowl. Rinse the grains in the sieve well under fresh cold water and then put the sieve back into the dry bowl. Important: The bowl should get light during this step, but if possible not stand directly in a sunny place.
Let the grains sit, this time for about two to three days. Rinse again under cold water every 12 hours.
After some time, the grains will begin to germinate. You can tell by the fact that thin white shoots sprout at the ends, which gradually intertwine. Wait for them to grow long enough to branch and form a braid. Then you can move on to drying the kernels. How long the grains need to germinate varies depending on the type of grain. With spelled, for example, it usually takes longer than with wheat. Important: If the shoots turn green, the grains are no longer edible. It is therefore important to wait for the right moment.
Line a baking tray with baking paper (or an ecological baking paper substitute). Spread the grains out on the baking tray and let them dry in the oven at 70 degrees top/bottom heat for about an hour. It is best to clamp a wooden spoon in the oven door so that it remains open a crack and the moisture can escape better.
After the drying process, you can roast the grains. Increase the temperature to 170 degrees top/bottom heat and leave the grains in the oven for another 40 minutes. You can then do a taste test: if the grain already tastes slightly malty, it’s ready. Otherwise, roast the grains again for 10 minutes.
When the kernels are done, remove the tray from the oven and let them cool completely. Then check if the grains are really completely dried. They must no longer contain any moisture.
Once they have cooled, you can grind the grains. It is best to use a grain mill or coffee grinder for this. Alternatively, you can also put them in the blender.
Fill the ground baking malt into a clean screw-top jar and close it tightly.

Baking malt: tips for use

The baking malt will keep for several months in a screw-top jar. It is important that the glass is sterile. You can find tips for this here: Sterilizing glasses: The best methods with step-by-step instructions.

When baking bread, it is sufficient to use about 30 grams of baking malt per kilogram of flour, unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Simply mix the baking malt into the remaining ingredients before kneading them into a dough and follow the further instructions.

Tip: If you don’t have baking malt at hand, you can replace it with malt coffee if necessary. It is then sufficient to use about a fifth of the recommended amount of baking malt – for example six grams instead of 30 grams.

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