Over the last decade, ancient grains have become increasingly popular, and with good reason. But before we dive into some of the specifics of working with them, let’s talk a little bit about what they are exactly. Broadly, the term ancient grain is a marketing term used to describe a collection of grains that fall into cereal (grasses) and pseudo-cereal (non-grasses) categories. They include the ancestors of modern wheat such as the Farro grains (emmer, einkorn and spelt), as well as Khorasan wheat, and other cereal grains such as millet, barley, teff, oats and sorghum. Pseudo-cereal ancient grains include buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth and chia.
What separates ancient grains from their modern counterparts is the fact that they are mostly unchanged throughout history, having not been subjected to selective breeding like modern wheat varieties, rice and corn. There are some exceptions to this, such as both oats and barley, which have had species selectively bred, and, of course, all plants naturally adapt to their particular climate and conditions over time. For the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on the ancient grains which have gluten-forming potential, specifically those which are the ancestors of our modern wheat today.
Nutritional Value
There have been many claims about the health benefits of ancient grains, but this is also a subject of some controversy as many nutritionists dispute this as a broad statement. Ancient cereal grains do, however, tend to be higher in protein, fiber and vitamins when compared to modern commodity wheats. Additionally, how grain is grown, and under what conditions, largely determines the raw nutritional value. There are many examples today of modern wheat which have been specifically bred not just for yield, but also for flavor and nutrient density. When these are grown regeneratively, on fertile soil with respect for biodiversity, they can certainly produce crops of comparable nutritional value.
This means that who you source your grain from, and how they treat it throughout the growing process, matters at least as much as whether it is an ancient variety or not. So if you are looking for added nutrition from whole grains, provenance matters. And what is not in dispute by anyone is the fact that whole grains are more nutritious than their refined counterparts, modern or ancient. Beyond nutritional value, there are other considerations though, including digestibility, flavor and impact on dough characteristics.
Are Ancient Grains Lower in Gluten?
Another claim often made is that ancient wheat varieties, or even older heritage wheats, are lower in gluten than modern wheat. This statement is inaccurate. In fact, most modern wheat is lower in the storage proteins that form gluten (glutenin and gliadin) and higher in starch than historial varieties of wheat. What is often different, however, is that modern wheats tend to have a greater distribution of glutenin, the protein responsible for elasticity (strength) in dough, and ancient wheats tend to have a greater distribution of gliadin, the protein responsible for extensibility (ability to stretch).
There is, however, a growing body of evidence that suggests ancient varieties of wheat may be better tolerated by those who suffer from non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), although these sensitivities may actually be related to fructans (FODMAPS), rather than gluten itself. As with many topics relating to human health and digestion, there is a lot of nuance to this discussion, and much is still unknown as to the specific mechanisms that trigger immune or other inflammation responses.
Whatever the specific mechanisms are, many people who have suffered symptoms from wheat products previously, have found they are much better able to tolerate products made at least in part with ancient grains. That said, these ancient grains are related to wheat and do contain large amounts of gluten, so they are not safe to be consumed by those who have coeliac disease.
Flavor Profile and Dough Characteristics
The flavor profiles of ancient grains have similarities, namely that they are often described as being nutty with varying amounts of sweetness. Some of this will also come down to terroir in which they are grown, but other tasting notes include earthiness, spice and butteriness. In my experience, spelt tends to have the mildest flavor, einkorn tends to be the sweetest, emmer tends to be boldest and khorasan the most buttery.
In terms of texture, they also add a creaminess to the mouthfeel, often adding both tenderness to the crumb and crispness to the crust. But one of the areas where ancient grains truly shine, in my opinion, is what effect they have on dough rheology. When blended with wheat, they add both richness and depth of flavor that can otherwise be lacking, but they also add softness and extensibility to the dough, which, in turn, gives a truly rustic character to the resulting bread.
But this can also be challenging for those used to making bread with wheat alone, which tends to be stronger and more elastic. Wheat is definitely more forgiving in terms of adding structure, and, when working with ancient grains in higher amounts, strength must be coaxed out of the dough. For this reason, begin by adding a single ancient grain into your flour mix, and keep it to a moderate amount (5-10%). This way you’ll begin to get a feel for how it changes both the dough and the resulting bread, and you can begin to increase the amount as you become more comfortable working with it.
Other Considerations
In addition to having lower gluten-forming potential, there are other considerations when working with ancient grains such as the ones from Janie’s Mill. Because the flours are very fresh, and because they are whole grain, they tend to ferment much faster than commodity flour. Additionally, the reduced glutenin content means they tend to have a lower absorption rate, meaning they can hold less water than their modern wheat descendents. To compensate for these differences, it is recommended to use less water with doughs that contain these flours (especially to begin with), and to either reduce the amount of levain used, or end bulk fermentation sooner, all else being equal. There will be a natural period of adjustment and refinement to this, but the more you work with ancient grains, the more comfortable you will become. Finally, as a general rule, these flours don’t do well with an autolyse. They will already produce a more extensible dough than modern wheat, so pre-mixing with water only serves to accelerate the already fast fermentation, while also activating enzymes which will further accelerate things.
Where to Buy
Our partner, Janie's Mill, carries a large selection of ancient grains in whole berries or stone-milled into whole grain flour. If you have not yet purchased from them, you can get free shipping on your first order over $40 by using the code GEEKS40 or 10% off any order by using the code GEEKS10. (Both offers can be used one time, but not combined.)
