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Learn how to bake fermented buckwheat bread the easy way — a gluten-free sourdough bread that rises naturally without a starter. This buckwheat bread recipe is for beginnings looking to get into making homemade bread! With a wholesome, nutty flavor and gut-friendly fermentation, this nutrient dense bread is nourishing, simple, and delicious. Buckwheat is naturally gluten free and is a great way to get started on a bread-making journey as no sourdough starter is required. Make sure that you use raw buckwheat groats, as opposed to toasted buckwheat or kashi. Please see the video of this recipe. [Referral links included in the recipe support the recipe author.]
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups raw buckwheat groats
- 2 tbsp raw whey or plain yogurt [Make this dairy-free by omitting the whey or yogurt and substituting with a dairy-free plain yogurt.]
- 4 cups warm water (or enough to fully cover the groats)
FINAL BATTER
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- 1 tsp fine unrefined sea salt
Instructions
- Combine buckwheat, water and whey or yogurt in a medium-large bowl and let soak for a minimum of 5 hours, overnight or up to 1 ½ days. Note: The longer you let the groats soak, the more bubbly and “active” the soaking liquid will become. This bubbly soaking liquid can be used for other recipes like these muffins. A longer soak will also shorten the final fermentation time.
- Strain groats using a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Don’t rinse, but let it drain. Note: if you would like to also make these gluten free blueberry oat muffins you should save this active soaking liquid when straining. Simply place strainer on top of a bowl to catch the bubbly liquid.
- Blend strained buckwheat groats with 1 ¼ cups warm water and salt until combined. No need to over blend. Then, pour the batter back into the bowl you had used to soak the groats. Cover the bowl with compostable cling wrap and let sit in on the counter overnight or up to 24 hours. Note: Fermentation time may vary depending on warmth in your kitchen or the amount of time the initial groats soaked. For a warmer environment (kickstarts ferment), place bowl to ferment in the oven with the oven light turned on. Batter is ready when it has risen and looks puffy and has bubbles.
- When batter is puffed up and fermented, stir lightly and listen to the crackling sounds. The ferment may have a strong smell, but don’t worry, this is a good thing! Pour batter into a bread pan lined with unbleached parchment paper. Do not preheat the oven. Put bread in the oven and then set temperature to 350℉. Bake for 1 ½ hours. For a golden, crispier outer crust, turn the temperature up to 425-450℉ after 90 minutes and allow to bake for another 5-7 minutes.
- Remove bread from oven. Let cool in the bread pan for 10-15 minutes, then remove by pulling the parchment paper with the bread out and onto a rack. When it’s cool enough to touch, remove the paper and allow to cool completely before cutting bread. This is very important, as bread will continue to cook and set while it cools.


Is it possible for me to use organic wheat berries instead of the buckwheat?
Thanks
Could I use sourdough starter instead of whey if I wanted to?
I’d give it a try! I save starter from past batch of buckwheat fermentation stage to reinoculate next batch.
Turned out doughy inside. Will try again allowing it to ferment longer.
Hi, did you have a better result with yout second try and if so how long did you ferment? Thanks, Estelle.
I learned that my organic hulled buckwheat had been steam-treated during hulling, which prevented natural fermentation. To work around this, I added 2 Tbsp kefir or yogurt to the initial soak, and again during the fermentation stage. This inoculated the buckwheat so it actually fermented. I also added 1 tsp baking soda right before baking to improve rise—the soda reacting with the lactic acid from the kefir/yogurt.
Interesting. I made it for the first time yesterday and it was doughy just at the base in the middle – still delicious though. Did the kefir and baking soda work?
Hi, this looks like a very promising recipe. I am still fermenting my first batch. Question: Is the batter supposed to be a runny? I sprouted the buckwheat beforehand and soaked to activate it using a sourdough starter liquid and some tofu whey. Its bubbling now, resembles a batter its a bit runny and I followed the recipe to a T
When letting the buckwheat, water, and yogurt soak overnight, is this on the countertop at room temp or in the fridge? Thanks, excited to try!