How To Toast Grains
I love to toast my grains because of the great flavor it adds. I have toasted many different grains and they all turned out great.
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Wheat
- Barley
- Oat Groats...
When I want a nuttier flavor in my bread, I toast the wheat, let it cool completely, grind it and make bread.
Toasting grains has many benefits!
- It tastes really good!
- The toasty roasted, nutty flavor kicks any grain dish up a notch.
- It makes them easier to digest and restores great flavor to grain that is a little old tasting.
I toast up a lot at a time because it takes the same amount of time to toast 1 cup as it does 10 cups and it stores for a long time.
To get started you will need:
Heavy bottomed skillet like a cast iron pan
Grain of choice
Wooden spoon (metal ones make a lot of noise)
20-30 minutes to do the toasting
Grain of choice
Wooden spoon (metal ones make a lot of noise)
20-30 minutes to do the toasting
1) Start Toasting
Put your dry grain in the skillet and turn the stove on high until the pan gets hot then turn it down to medium/low. Stir regularly until it starts to make popping noises and then stir constantly until done.
Put your dry grain in the skillet and turn the stove on high until the pan gets hot then turn it down to medium/low. Stir regularly until it starts to make popping noises and then stir constantly until done.
2) Keep Stirring
As the grain gets darker and hotter you need to stir more frequently so it won't burn. If your stove is too hot it will burn the grain, instead of toasting it. So, keep it low and be patient. I actually like to get mine darker than this picture shows.
As the grain gets darker and hotter you need to stir more frequently so it won't burn. If your stove is too hot it will burn the grain, instead of toasting it. So, keep it low and be patient. I actually like to get mine darker than this picture shows.
The trick is patience! It takes 20-30 minutes to get a really good toasted grain with awesome flavor. Store it in an air-tight container once it has cooled completely. After toasting your grain you cook it as usual. I cook my toasted rice in a rice cooker with 4 cups of water and 2 cups of rice.