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Buckwheat is a really great place to start if you’ve never sprouted before. In fact, it’s one of our favourite things to sprout. It germinates quickly and shows a good visible sprout, so it is satisfying to watch! Sprouting it aids in digestibility and bioavailablity, and makes it super quick cooking. The sprouting process also starts to break down the structure of the seed, resulting in a really lovely texture and making it’s very distinct flavour more subtle.
Unlike many other cereal grains, this naturally gluten-free grain is also a complete protein. It’s nutritious, versatile and lends its own unique flavour to any dish!
The key with finding buckwheat groats to sprout is that they need to be raw, and packaging may not always specify. Toasted buckwheat, or kasha, has been heated and will no longer germinate. You should be able to tell raw buckwheat by its light greenish colour, whereas kasha is usually brown.
You can usually find raw buckwheat groats at your local bulk or health food store, or you may be able to source online. Choosing organic is usually best because then you can be certain that it hasn’t been treated with any chemicals that could interfere with germination. You should also be able to find certified gluten-free buckwheat should you need it.
You don’t need any fancy equipment to sprout buckwheat, but there are a few things to note:
Sprouting in a Bowl
You will need a large bowl, a clean dish towel and a fine mesh strainer.
Sprouting in a Jar
A jar with a sprouting lid makes it simpler to drain and rinse, but it means you need extra equipment (they are inexpensive and you can find metal or plastic ones at most health food stores or online). Sprouting lids can have different mesh sizes, so make sure the buckwheat can’t fall through before you begin. If you don’t have a sprouting lid, you can also use a mason jar lid with the center replaced by mesh or cheesecloth.
We found each method worked equally well and sprouted at the same rate. Sprouting in a jar was slightly more convenient, but it’s really down to your personal preference.
For Drying
If you’re not consuming the sprouted buckwheat right away, you will need a dehydrator or baking tray to dry in the oven.
We started with 2 cups of raw buckwheat and 4 cups of water for both the jar and bowl method.
With a bowl and mesh strainer:
With a sprouting jar:
Drain and rinse well with lukewarm water.
If you’re using a bowl: make sure the water has fully drained before returning the buckwheat to the bowl, you want it moist but not sitting in water while sprouting. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and allow it to sit at room temperature.
If you’re using a sprouting jar: after rinsing, drain well and invert the jar into a large bowl or other object that allows it to sit at an angle. This lets water drain constantly. Allow the jar to sit at room temperature.
Leave the bowl covered or the jar at an angle while sprouting. After a few hours, you should start to see sprouts emerge. At about the halfway mark (10 hours), rinse the buckwheat again in lukewarm water, drain and return to sprouting. Check periodically and rinse a second time if the grain starts to look dry or feels cool to the touch. You can also lightly stir or roll the jar if you need to redistribute the moisture.
The 20-24 hour sprouting time is a guideline, yours may sprout slower or faster depending on the germination rate of your raw buckwheat, the temperature of your house etc. To maintain it’s whole grain characteristics, you’ll want to stop sprouting before the sprout becomes longer than the length of the grain. The germination rate will vary between individual buckwheat groats, so look for an average and don’t worry if a few seem too long or too short.
Once it is sprouted to your liking, give it a final rinse.
Cooked sprouted buckwheat in a whole grain (left) and porridge (right) consistency.
Sprouted Buckwheat dried in the oven and dehydrator:
If you want to use sprouted buckwheat right away, simply boil in water until it becomes your desired consistency. It will take about 5 minutes for whole grain consistency or 10-15 for porridge, but it is best to taste it to check.
You can keep sprouted buckwheat in the fridge for a few days, but it will continue to sprout a little bit. You can also put it in an airtight container in the freezer, which will halt sprouting entirely. After freezing the sprout may develop a yellow-brown colour, this is normal. Thaw before cooking.
If you would like to make your buckwheat shelf stable or mill it into flour, you have to dry/dehydrate it. For safety reasons, we do not recommend this if you are away from home or asleep, so time your sprouting accordingly.
In an oven
Spread the buckwheat in a single layer on a baking tray or trays. Dry at 170°F for 4-5 hours. Note that this method may give it a lightly toasted taste and texture.
In a dehydrator
Spread the buckwheat in a single layer. Depending on your machine, you may need a mat or parchment paper to keep the buckwheat from falling through. Dehydrate at 105° for 6-7 hours. This is not considered a bacteria killing step and the buckwheat should still be cooked.
Store sprouted dried buckwheat in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 years. If you have a home mill, sprouted buckwheat also makes a wonderful flour.
We’re here to help with any questions or troubleshooting, leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Have tips and tricks to share? We would love to hear those too!
11 thoughts on “How to Sprout Buckwheat”
Is the 170 F or C?
Sorry, that’s 170°F (or the lowest your oven will go, some even have a dehydrate setting). I will update it, thank you!
Hi, I hope you can help me out with this. I have been baking buckwheat bread with groats, soaking the groats for 24 h, not rinsing them (the gooey liquid helps the structure of the bread, I read), then mixing with a blender and then letting the batter ferment for 8 h in the mold. I wanted to know what happens with those 24 h soaking: Am I sprouting the buckwheat or am I fermenting it? Is it sprouting even if the buckwheat is always covered by water?
This method gives a fluffy bread with lots of little holes. The other recipes I tried do the opposite (8 h soaking, rinsing, mixing, 24 h letting the
batter ferment) and the bread comes out really dense, very moist and no little holes.
I’ve been wondering this all day!
Thanks a lot in advance! 🙂
Hi Lynn,
Soaking is the first stage of the sprouting process, but the actual sprouting happens when soaked grain is exposed to oxygen. So no, it will not sprout while covered in water. Soaking for 24 hours will begin the process of “pre-digestion” and breaking down phytic acid. Sprouting or fermenting would then take those benefits a step further. I’m not entirely sure why your recipe works one way and not the other but my best guess is it could be one of a few things:
– Soaking for longer could soften the grain more, resulting in a smoother batter. A chunkier batter could weigh the bread down.
– Buckwheat is mucilaginous so yes, keeping the gooey liquid should help bind the batter (giving the bread structure and volume) similar to the addition of eggs, flax powder, chia powder or psyllium powder in many gluten-free breads.
– 24 hour ferment after mixing could potentially overproof the bread, causing it to collapse and create a dense texture.
The science of fermentation can be a bit tricky so it’s not always clear exactly what went wrong, but I hope that gives you some ideas. Your fermented buckwheat bread sounds delicious, please feel free to share the recipe and let us know if you have any other questions!
I am also interested in this recipe! Looking at a bunch of sites, and each of the recipes are *so* different. Would love to try the one you mention here.
I 2ish I had your recipe for bread. Sounds nice.
I “wish” I could try the recipe from Lynn too.
You mentioned how sprouting will reduce the phytic acid in whole grains but do you know by how much? Does it also reduce oxalate? Have you ever had any of your sprouted items tested for a guaranteed nutritional analysis?
And, sorry for all the questions, do you dehydrate at 105°F or higher? 105° doesn’t killl bacteria but does this kill all the enzymes and whatnot? The benefits I’m after from raw and sprouted.
Thanks!
Hi, can I just soak the sprouted buckwheat in almond milk overnight in the fridge to make an uncooked porridge? I prefer not to cook the SB to maintain the full nutritional value of the buckwheat.
Thanks
Hello,
I am sprouting mung beans as well right now and I sort of got the directions mixed together and sprouted my buckwheat for about 48 hours instead of 20-24 hours. I noticed when re-reading your instructions you said not to let the tails get longer than the grain. Well, mine are all too long. I am dehydrating them right now at about 135 for 12 hours b/c I am also drying some cranberries in the dehydrator at the same time. What, if any negative effect will I have from eating buckwheat that is sprouted too long? Taste? Toxicity? Nutrients? Thanks in advance for your help.
The more you sprout buckwheat it will start to take on the nutritional properties of a microgreen rather than a grain. I’m not sure about the taste profile, but it doesn’t create any toxicity (some people sprout it all the way to a microgreen). I don’t think it would work well to mill it into flour but it should still be good for stir fries and salads.