Whole Grain Farro: What Is It Exactly?

All of this talk about what shenanigans have been added to our bread just becomes the opposite of positive in my mind.  So, I figured I would try out an alternative.  LET'S MAKE OUR OWN! There are four ingredients in bread.  Or at least, there should be only these four:  Flour, Water, Yeast, Salt.

Today we will focus on FLOUR. 

Those four ingredients can turn goo into a delicious feast.  When I first began making bread, I would make gluten free bread, of course. And I discovered tons of delicious options.  Sorghum flour is yummy.  It makes the bread a bit dense and it great to bake with.  And garbanzo flour is also pretty awesome too.  I have made a killer persimmon bread using garbanzo flour.  There is also almond flour, coconut flour, brown rice flour (I use to thicken stews and bread chicken). The list goes on.

But lately, since my return from France, I have started experimenting with wild-yeasted sourdough (fermented yeast helps break down the gluten content), and grinding my own Farro grain into flour.  Farro is one of the original whole grain, that has not been broken down and therefore, not been oxidized yet.  My friend Jack Bezian, who owns Bezian Breads in Hollywood (a whole post on his suberb bread is to come) suggested I try to grind my own Farro.  He said that is the best way to deter any pesticides or hybrid flours in and that my belly might be able to handle it more.  Also, it has less gluten in it than wheat grain and is more easily digested.  It is super nutritious, since is in it's full form and hasn't been tampered with.  I am trying to eat more foods that are in their highest state, so to speak.  Because I believe they have the most life force in them, or "jing" as we call it in Chinese Medicine.  I use the medium size Farro grain, or "emmer," as it is also referred to.  It is very popular in Italian Cuisine.  They use it to make breads, risotto, soups, and the list goes on...

Here are a couple tid-bits on Farro:

What exactly is it? It is a unhybridized grain used for thousands of years in the Middle East, parts of Europe, and Africa.  It may even have been used as money in the height of the Roman Era.  Believe it not, they say that farro grains have been found in Egyptian Tombs alongside the mummy. SPOOKY!  

How does it taste? Nutty and crisper than your regular flour, with undertones of wheat and barley.  

How does it pack a nutritious punch? It is very rich in fiber, magnesium, and Vit A,B,C, and E.

Where exactly is it grown? Italy.  Specifically in the mountains in Tuscany.  Since it is born and raised in such a rugged, richly nutritious terrain, close to the sky, you know it is going to be healthy.  

But don't get it confused with? Spelt or Wheat Berries! It is a totally different grain and people often confuse the two because they all look so similar.  

And there you have it.  See, my friends, there are alternatives to wheat! There are soooooooo so many grains that have no gluten or less gluten.  There are more possibilities! ENJOY THEM! 

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Here is a great article I found as a resource for me in my farro education: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/11/garden/farro-italy-s-rustic-staple-the-little-grain-that-could.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm