How to make Healthy Ezekiel Bread at Home
My husband and I have been on a journey to eat more biblically. It’s been a wonderful experience of learning and growing in our knowledge of what food looked like in those times.
In Ezekiel 4:9, God told Ezekiel to mix wheat, barley, millet, beans, and lentils. This would be the mixture to make this bread now known as Ezekiel Bread. Let me show you how to make Ezekiel Bread right at home!
Ezekiel bread has always been a bread that you mostly find in health food stores. It can be quite pricy and sometimes hard to find. Over the past few years my local grocery store started selling it. However, as I said above it is pricy and I decided I wanted to try to make my own Ezekiel bread at home.
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Why I decided to make Ezekiel Bread
The fascinating thing about the research we have been doing on the subject of biblical eating is that every dietary ordinance mentioned has a purpose. God is His infinite wisdom gave his people the tools to be and stay healthy.
In that past 2 months, we have jumped into this new lifestyle by only eating bread made from freshly ground wheat, eating more fish, veggies, fruits, nuts, and seeds. We are also adding in turkey, chicken, and grass fed beef. For dairy, we are eating cheese, yogurt, and are consuming milk kefir daily.
In all of this transition, I have been wanting to try Ezekiel bread. I waited until we settled into this diet to try something new, but, now is the time.
Because of the ingredients Ezekiel Bread is one of the healthiest breads there is.
Where is Ezekiel bread found in the Bible
Before we get started, let’s review the scripture in the book of Ezekiel that is directly related to this mix, Ezekiel 4:9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.
Take notice, there were no measurements on how much of each to use. There are many recipes for the mix, but, I decided to customize a mix that will ensure a good rise on the bread.
I am choosing to use 2 ancient grains: Kamut and Spelt. In addition to those I will be using hard white wheat to lighten the loaf. I will be using millet, barley, lentils, and 3 kinds of beans/legumes: great northern, black beans, and garbanzo beans.
There are no specific directions for sprouted grains or on how to mill them. There are many different interpretations of how this bread is made.
I chose to read the verses and gather the ingredients I could gather to make the bread as close to the ingredient list as possible.
I will be making a large amount of the mix so that I can easily and quickly grind the mixture whenever I want to make a bread product.
How to make Ezekiel Bread Mix
- 2 cups Spelt. We love Spelt flour in our baking. It has a wonderful flavor and is an ancient grain.
- 2 cups Kamut. Kamut is also an ancient grain, Kamut has a rich flavor and is a light and airy wheat variety.
- 2 cups Hard White Wheat
- 1/2 cup Millet
- 1/2 cup Barley
- 2 tbsp Lentils
- 2 tbsp Great Northern Beans
- 2 tbsp Black Beans
- 2 tbsp Garbonzo Beans
Mix together in a large bowl and transfer to an airtight container for storage.
What you will need to make Ezekiel Bread at Home:
Ezekiel Flour
After making the Ezekiel mix you will grind it in a grain mill to make the whole grain flour. Only mill as much as you need for the recipe and store the rest in an airtight container.
Ezekiel flour has a wonderful flavor. It’s nutty and earthy with a touch of sweetness.
Water
Warm filtered water works best. You can also use well water. Tap water isn’t advised as it is usually found to have chlorine which can inhibit yeast growth.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is used in this recipe to make it soft. I like to use a high-quality organic olive oil.
Honey
The honey adds a bit of sweetness to the loaf and cuts the earthiness of the whole grains.
Sunflower Lecithin
Lecithin is a natural fat emulsifier and yields a softer loaf with a better rise.
Egg
Egg can be used as a replacement to the sunflower lecithin.
Salt
I prefer to use Redmond’s Real Salt in my baking. Salt is very important in baking as it lends flavor. Bread made without salt is void of flavor.
Yeast
I use instant yeast in this recipe. It doesn’t have to be proofed and can be kept in the freezer for long storage.
If you only have active dry yeast on hand you will need to proof the yeast by putting 2 1/4 tsp in 1/2 cup of warm water and letting it sit for 10 minutes. If the yeast mixture becomes foamy, it is active.
Step by Step Instructions for making Ezekiel Bread
Milling the grains:
For the bread, mill 3 cups of the mixture.
Milling the whole grains leaves you with a fresh milled flour that is full of nutrition.
If you are new to milling grains, start here: https://therosehomestead.com/using-freshly-milled-flour-in-your-kitchen/
This is the grain mill (flour mill) I use and have loved for years: https://collabs.shop/rxide2
Mixing the dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, add warm water, oil, honey, salt, egg, lecithin (if using). Mix well and add 2 cups of flour. Mix well and add the yeast.
This is the stand mixer I use: https://collabs.shop/xmipvy
Kneading the dough:
Continue mixing while adding flour until it pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes glossy and stretchy.
Allowing the dough to rise:
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled. The time varies based on temperature and humidity of your home, but generally 1-2 hours. Deflate the dough.
Shape the dough and second rise:
Shape the loaf and place into a greased loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise until it reaches the top of the pan. This will take 1-1 1/2 hours.
Bake the bread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. The bread should be golden brown.
Remove loaf from loaf pan immediately and place on a wire cooling rack. Allow loaf to cool completely before slicing.
Storage Tips:
This bread can be stored at room temperature for 5-7 days in a bread bag.
You can freeze this bread by putting in a plastic bread bag and freezing. It will last in the freezer for up to 6 months.
The next time you need some bread simply pull it from the freezer the night before and it will be ready to eat the next morning.
You can substitute some of the ingredients if you just can’t find them. For instance, instead of pinto beans you could use red beans. It’s best to try to use ancient wheat if possible for most of the wheat component.
The best way to store the bread is to allow it to cool completely, slice it, and then store it in a plastic bread bag on the counter for 5-7 days. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
Yes, you can add the liquid ingredients first, then the flour, then the salt, and then the yeast. Set your bread machine to make yeasted bread.
I would suggest instead using store bought whole wheat flour. This bread is a hearty bread made with many grains. You could mill the beans and other grains and add to the whole wheat flour.
In conclusion, Ezekiel bread is a whole grain bread that is much healthier than white bread. It has a high amount of protein and fiber.
The flavor is very good and makes a wonderful sandwich or toast.
This homemade Ezekiel bread recipe makes a wonderful bread your family will love!
Ezekiel Bread
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or large mixing bowl
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups Ezekiel mix ground in a grain mill or blender
- 1 cup very warm water 105-110 degrees F
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg optional
- 1 tbsp lecithin optional
- 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, mix the water, oil, honey, lecithin, egg, salt, and 2 cups of the flour.
- Mix well. Sprinkle the yeast and continue mixing while adding flour 1/2 cup at a time.
- Add enough flour until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl.
- Knead for 10 minutes.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise until doubled.
- Once doubled, deflate the dough and shape into a loaf. Place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and allow to rise until it tops over the pan.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove loaf immediately from pan and place on a cooling rack.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Oh I would love to try this! I don’t have a way to mill my own though!! How do you store it to keep fresh?
I let my bread cool completely, slice it, and store it in the freezer if I’m not going to be using it for a day or two. I let it thaw out at room temp and it is just like fresh bread. Then I store it at room temp in the bag with a clip until we eat it, usually 4-5 days.
I love Ezekiel bread. I always thought that it was made from sprouted grains and lentils etc. Have you ever made it that way? I would love it if you had the Ezekiel blend available for printing along with the bread recipe. Thanks for the tutorial, I will try it once I get the ingredients.
I haven’t tried sprouting grains. I have always felt a bit uncomfortable with using them in my grain mill after they dry because if they are the least bit moist it could damage the mill. The mills are so expensive I just don’t feel comfortable doing it. Maybe in the future, I will.
Sprouting is more nutritious and it cuts down on the phytic acid which impairs calcium, iron, and zinc absorption.
Greetings!
Please, what size is your loaf pan?
It’s 8.5×4.5
Hi Mary,
I have baked your sourdough sandwich bread. It is the bomb, it’s delicious. Thanks
I want to make this bread. My question is, I only have the active yeast. How do I use it in this recipe?
I made this bread today, and it turned out FANTASTIC! I love that it is a complete protein. My 3 year old grand niece is staying with us, and I want her to have the good nutrition. Thanks so much, Mary!
Just made my very first bread based on the ingredients mentioned in the Bible and your instructions and it turned out amazing! Thanks a lot, I’ll be making this more often
I made this and it was wonderful. Have you ever tried it using a sourdough starter?
What are the calories for this bread??
I was looking for an ezekiel bread recipe that wasn’t so large and that I didn’t have to do the math for the reduce in halves or even thirds! However, I have made this twice and each time I have had large holes in the middle of top half of the loaf. The first few slices are fine but going towards the middle very crumbly and a large hole. Had to throw most of it to the chickens. Please advise what you think might be happening. You don’t mention rising time for 1st or 2nd rise which would give me some idea. It was over an hour for first rist and I’m wondering if that was too long? All this to say, it did have a wonderful flavor and I really do want a good load of this bread. Thanks so much.
I would say it rose a little too long. What I would do is let it only do one rise in the loaf pan. It’s important to make sure you shape it very tightly. What I do to prevent the whole in the center is to pick up the shaped loaf and drop it against the counter 2-3 times to get all of the big air bubbles out. Let it rise in the loaf pan until it just tops over the rim of the pan and then bake. It’s hard to give an exact time because of differences in temperature and humidity from home to home but I would say generally this will take 1-2 hours. I sure hope that helps!
Hi! I’m excited to try this, but I have a question. I’m currently undergoing treatment for hormone-positive breast cancer and need to stay away from sunflowers due to the copper. Is there anything besides the lecithin I can use? I’m very new to this. Thanks!
Yes, you can just add an egg. I am so sorry for what you are going through! Prayers for a complete healing!