Inspired by a recipe that God Himself revealed to the prophet Ezekiel, nutritionist Belén Carlino has revived this bread as a healthy option—one that returns to our tables today straight from the pages of the Bible.
“Ezekiel Bread” originates from a passage in the Old Testament. In Chapter 4 of the Book of Ezekiel, God instructs the prophet to prepare a special bread and eat it for 390 days as a sign of the time of trial, scarcity, and suffering that the people of Israel were enduring.
“Then take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them into a single pot and make them into bread. Eat it for as many days as you lie upon your side, three hundred and ninety days.” (Ezekiel 4:9).
This ancient recipe is making a comeback thanks to Carlino, who recently shared how to prepare this nutritious bread in a video published by EWTN Español.
Carlino explained that when she read in the Bible about this bread that God instructed the prophet to make, she felt inspired to try it herself, noting that the recipe contains only six main ingredients.
“The text reads, ‘You are to take wheat (which we will use later to prepare the dough), barley, broad beans—which I had never cooked with before; take a look at what they are—lentils, millet (which I will use in the form of flour), and oats.’ Oats? In other versions, it says ‘rye.’ But after a deeper search and consulting older biblical translations, the most accurate term is actually ‘spelt.’ Did you know about that flour?” Carlino explains.
The nutritionist notes that spelt is a variety of wheat with a different genetic structure and unique properties, and that some people who are intolerant to common wheat may tolerate it better. However, she cautions that it is not suitable for people with celiac disease.
Using this recipe, Carlino prepared small rolls to make baking easier, achieving a result that is “100 percent whole grain, extremely nutritious, and a delicious taste.”
Ingredients for Ezekiel Bread:
- 1 cup lentils, soaked for 24 hours
- 1 cup broad beans, soaked for 24 hours
- 1 cup water (½ cup to process each legume)
- ¾ cup barley flour
- ¾ cup millet flour
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 2 cups wheat flour (or as needed to form a workable dough)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 packet yeast (10 g)