Are they simply unleavened or are there certain ingredients? Where can I get them. (in N.Y.)

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2000

Answers

I eat store bought and homemade essene bread. Can be purchased at a health food or coop store. I like wheat. Use organic wheat, more chance for success. Soak the wheat berries for about 12 hours. If its hot change the water. Drain & rinse. Rince a few times a day as they sprout. After they sprout watch very carefully. They must not be longer than 1 1/2 times the length of the seed. The next part is tricky. The best way to grind is in a meat grinder. Run them through probably twice. Once is not enough. It will be a sticky mass (messy).

There is another way. You may grind them in one of those bowls with the sharp insides. The bowls are also used to grind, mash cooked rice grains for mochi. You may also put it in a food processor. This does a job quite well, but the object is to mash not cut these grains.

What you have is a sticky mass that looks and feels like a wet dough. You may add rasins or savory herbs, salt what ever you think might entice you to eat it. (Don't make it so yummy that every one wants it and there's not enough for you.) Turn it out on a clean lightly floured surface and for into a round. Flour your hand, use a large plastic scrapper it helps a lot. Place on a baking sheet. Non stick, oiled, cornmealed, whatever. Bake about 4 hours at 250 degrees.

About two cups of berries will make one small loaf. Imagine baking this in the desert on a hot rock in the sun. They must have had a person fanning the flies away. Good luck. It

-- Anonymous, May 03, 2000