The foundation of Amen Bakehouse is the Bible verse Ezekiel 4:9 - "Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself". Every choice we make with these grains is intentional to create the highest quality bread and baked goods for body and spirit.
Start with the grains - all grown to the highest standard (please see our page "quality certification for details). Heritage wheat varieties are worlds apart from the modern hybridised wheat that so many people struggle to digest. Einkorn is the first cultivated variety: the unhybridised "original wheat". Emmer and spelt are also ancient grains. All three are high in protein, minerals, and antioxidants, and have a simple gluten structure. The combination of grains dictated by God in Ezekiel 4:9 contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
Secondly, the grains are soaked and sprouted for 48 hours. This "activates" the growth potential of the grains, breaks down starches, and increases antioxidants. For beans and lentils, it significantly reduces anti-nutrients like lectins and phytic acid, and improves nutrient density and bio-availability. The sprouted grains are then dehydrated at a low temperature to maintain the quality of "living food".
Third, the grains are freshly milled, and then used immediately to make dough before the nutrients oxidise and deteriorate. Our flour does not contain folic acid or any other additives. We use a professional grain mill with natural stone millstones and an all wooden casing. Fresh milling keeps the whole grain together; bran, germ and endosperm, complementary in their benefits. Fresh milled wheat contains 40 of the 44 known essential nutrients, but shelf-stable mass produced flour is enriched with synthetic versions of only four of these nutrients. Fresh milled flour, compared to store-bought, has a lower glycemic index, helping to keep blood sugar stable.
Finally, the Amen Bakehouse bread and baked goods are all made with sourdough culture instead of commercial yeast. Not only is this more authentic to the time period of the Bible, it is gentler on digestion and supports diversity in the gut microbiome.
And, of course, every step of preparing this nourishment is prayed over! Every single choice at Amen Bakehouse is carefully considered so as to optimise the ingredients, the process, and the final product. We hope you are deeply nourished by all we create.