2-Ingredient Buckwheat Sourdough with Milk Kefir - An Experiment

After successfully making a simple 2-Ingredient Buckwheat Sourdough Bread with Kombucha, I wondered whether milk kefir would work just as well.  Both contain various yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, so it seemed like a logical experiment. The result was an edible two-ingredient loaf, although it behaved quite differently from the kombucha version.

Sourdough is essentially flour and water that have been fermented by yeasts and lactic acid bacteria before being baked.  Many species of yeasts and bacteria live in my kombucha.  Milk kefir also contains yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, so I wondered whether it could ferment buckwheat in a similar way.

I have also tried making sourdough bread again using only two ingredients.  I used buckwheat again, and this time I used milk kefir instead of kombucha.  Making this loaf was very simple.  

Like traditional sourdough, this loaf relies on naturally occurring yeasts rather than commercial baker's yeast, and having no wheat flour it is entirely gluten free.

Milk kefir successfully fermented the buckwheat, but the loaf was denser and had larger air pockets than my kombucha version.

Sourdough buckwheat and milk kefir bread - looks good

The amount of effort was low, and the amount of time I was actively doing anything was low.  It did spend some time soaking, and fermenting, but I wasn't standing there watching it or anything like that so the time wasn't really noticeable.

While the taste of this buckwheat sourdough bread made with milk kefir was nice enough, I much preferred the taste of the loaf I made using kombucha. 

The texture of the loaf I made using kombucha was nice, it was like bread.  The texture of the milk kefir loaf was more dense, and I didn't like it much.  As you can see, it did bubble as it fermented/baked, but the bubbles were not evenly spread throughout the loaf.  Large caverns like this are common if the sourdough liquid is under fermented.

I didn't follow a recipe, much like my previous attempt where I used kombucha I made it up as I went, and I wrote it down so I could remember in the future.  I will share the recipe I used below.

Buckwheat milk kefir sourdough loaf

2-Ingredient Buckwheat Sourdough Bread with Milk Kefir Recipe

This isn't a perfected recipe.  It's simply what I did when I made this loaf, written down so I can try it again and change things next time.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw buckwheat groats 

1 cup milk kefir liquid

Instructions:

1) Soak 2 cups raw buckwheat groats in water for 6 (or more) hours. 

2) Drain liquid, but do not rinse.

3) Blend the soaked buckwheat into a smooth batter.

4) Add 1 cup of milk kefir liquid.  Blend until mixed together.

5) Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl, cover with a cloth or loose lid to keep insects out while allowing gases to escape, then leave overnight to ferment.

6) Line a bread tin with baking paper.  Add the buckwheat/kefir dough.

7) Bake in oven around 180C for an hour or so until the loaf is cooked through. 

You will also need to make milk kefir to try this recipe.  I make my own milk kefir using traditional grains.  

If you are interested you can read my milk kefir beginners guide.  

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.  If you buy through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.  

If you want to try this yourself, I sometimes sell traditional milk kefir grains, or if I don't have any you could buy kefir grains from NourishMe Organics, or dry starter culture through Bacillus Bulgaricus.  I haven't tried their kefir starter, but the other cultures I bought from Bacillus Bulgaricus have all worked well for me. 

Soaking buckwheat in water

This loaf was not all that great.  The crust looked nice, but the inside looked odd.  The loaf was very dense.  The taste was ok though.

Overall I count this as a win.  I made a fun sourdough loaf without following a recipe, it tasted ok, and I learned from the experience.  

Two ingredient buckwheat sourdough loaf

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make sourdough with milk kefir?

Yes. I made this loaf using only raw buckwheat groats and milk kefir.  It fermented and produced an edible loaf, although the texture wasn't as good as the version I made with kombucha.

Can milk kefir replace sourdough starter?

It can ferment a buckwheat batter, as I found with this experiment, but I wouldn't say milk kefir is the same thing as a traditional sourdough starter.  My loaf fermented, but it behaved differently from a conventional sourdough and from my kombucha version.

Is buckwheat sourdough gluten-free?

Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free, so this recipe is gluten-free provided all ingredients are free from gluten contamination.

Can I use roasted buckwheat?

No.  Use raw buckwheat groats.  Roasted buckwheat (kasha) behaves differently and won't produce the same result.

Why was my loaf dense?

I'm not completely sure.  In my case, I suspect the fermentation could have gone longer.  The baking temperature may also have played a part.  I plan to change both next time and see what happens.

Milk Kefir vs Kombucha for 2-Ingredient Buckwheat Sourdough

Having now made two versions of this simple buckwheat sourdough, one fermented with kombucha and the other with milk kefir, here are my observations.

Feature	Kombucha	Milk Kefir
Ingredients	Raw buckwheat + kombucha	Raw buckwheat + milk kefir
Ease of preparation	Very easy	Very easy
Fermentation	Good rise	Fermented well but appeared to need longer
Texture	Light, bread-like loaf	Dense with large uneven air pockets
Flavour	My favourite	Pleasant, but less appealing to me
Appearance	Even crumb, good looking loaf	Good crust, but large internal cavities
Would I make it again?	Definitely	Yes, but with a longer fermentation time and possibly a hotter oven

Related Fermentation Articles

If you enjoy experimenting with fermented foods, you might also find some more of my blog posts helpful: 

• Filmjölk vs Kefir - My comparison after making and drinking both regularly
• Making Milk Kefir at Home - Everything beginners need to know to keep healthy kefir grains.
• Farmer's Kefir Cheese (Tvorog) Recipe - A simple recipe to make Tvorog traditional farmer's cheese using milk kefir
• Easy 2-Ingredient Buckwheat Sourdough Bread Without a Starter - My experience making gluten free sourdough using kombucha and buckwheat

Final Thoughts

I have a feeling that this loaf could have been much nicer with a longer fermentation time.  I've also been told that baking at a higher temperature might produce a better result, so those are two things I'll try next time.

The milk kefir definitely fermented the buckwheat, but I preferred the lighter texture and flavour of the loaf I made with kombucha.  The kefir version was quite dense and had some very large air pockets, although it was still perfectly edible.

Overall, I count this as a win.  I made a two ingredient sourdough style loaf without following a recipe, it tasted ok, and I learned something from the experiment.

That's one of the things I enjoy about these little kitchen experiments.  Even the imperfect results are usually edible, or if nothing else my chickens will eat them and turn them into eggs.  Sometimes the failures teach more than the successes.

Next time I'll try fermenting the buckwheat for longer and baking it at a slightly higher temperature. That's part of the fun of working with living cultures, there's always something new to try.