How to Mix Whole Grains for a Warm and Nourishing Porridge

If you would like to incorporate more whole grains into your traditional foods kitchen but aren’t quite sure where to begin, a warm bowl of porridge is one of the easiest—and most delicious—places to start.

In today’s member video, I’m combining whole oat groats with whole hulled barley to make a simple, hearty porridge. This comforting breakfast is especially welcome as the weather begins to cool, but you can enjoy it any time of year.

These conversational vodcasts are available to the Kitchen Pioneers who have joined my YouTube membership community—The Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy.

Whole Grain Porridge Is the Perfect Place to Start

Whole grains can sometimes seem intimidating when you are first learning how to cook with them. You may not yet be ready to serve a bowl of whole hulled barley as a side dish, and that’s perfectly fine!

You may also be interested in baking with freshly milled whole-grain flour but haven’t purchased a grain mill yet. Fortunately, you don’t need any special equipment to begin adding whole grains to your meals.

Making porridge allows you to cook the grains in their whole form, creating a soft and comforting breakfast that is easy to customize with your favorite toppings. It’s a gentle and approachable way to become familiar with the flavor and texture of different grains.Making porridge allows you to cook the grains in their whole form, creating a soft and comforting breakfast that is easy to customize with your favorite toppings. It’s a gentle and approachable way to become familiar with the flavor and texture of different grains.

Begin with Whole Oat Groats

When I make a mixed-grain porridge, I generally like to include whole oat groats as my starting point.

Oat groats are the whole oat kernel with only the inedible outer hull removed. Unlike rolled oats or steel-cut oats, oat groats have not been flattened or cut into smaller pieces. Once cooked, they develop a pleasantly chewy texture and a mild flavor that pairs beautifully with other grains.

If you are transitioning from a breakfast made with rolled oats, including oat groats in your porridge offers a familiar flavor while introducing you to the heartier texture of intact whole grains.

Add Whole Hulled Barley

In my member video, I combine my oat groats with whole hulled barley.

Be sure to look for hulled barley rather than pearled barley. Hulled barley has had the tough, inedible outer hull removed, but it retains its bran and germ. Pearled barley has been polished to remove some—or sometimes much—of the bran.

Whole hulled barley brings a pleasantly chewy texture and a slightly nutty flavor to porridge. When cooked together, the oats and barley create a satisfying breakfast that is warm, filling, and wonderfully old-fashioned.

Create Your Own Whole-Grain Combinations

Once you become comfortable making porridge with oat groats and hulled barley, you can begin experimenting with other combinations.

Although I generally like to keep oats as part of the mixture, I can rotate out the barley and replace it with another whole grain. Some excellent possibilities include:

• Einkorn berries
• Emmer berries, also known as farro
• Spelt berries
• Hard red wheat berries
• Hard white wheat berries
• Soft white wheat berries
• Whole rye berries

Each grain contributes its own flavor and texture. Einkorn has a rich, slightly sweet taste, while emmer and spelt bring a pleasant nuttiness. Modern wheat berries tend to be hearty and chewy, and rye adds a distinctive earthy flavor.

You can use one additional grain with your oat groats or create a blend of several grains. Start simply, taste each combination, and discover what you and your family enjoy most.

• Learn more: Wheat Berries FAQ about Einkorn, Spelt, and More

Explore Millet, Buckwheat, and Other Options

You can expand your porridge combinations even further by experimenting with grains and grain-like seeds that may be less familiar.

Millet has a mild flavor and can contribute a softer texture to your porridge. Buckwheat, despite its name, is not a type of wheat. It has a distinctive earthy flavor that pairs especially well with warm spices, fruit, and maple syrup.

Both millet and buckwheat are naturally gluten-free. However, if you need to avoid gluten for medical reasons, remember that combining them with wheat, barley, rye, spelt, einkorn, emmer, or regular oat groats (that are not guaranteed to be completely gluten-free) will not create a gluten-free porridge.

If you want to make a gluten-free porridge with oats, you will want to choose oats specifically labeled gluten-free to help avoid cross-contact during growing and processing.

You can learn more about buckwheat and other options in my Two Texans Taste Popular and Traditional Eastern European Foods video and blog post.

Other possibilities for your porridge experiments include:

• Brown rice
• Sorghum
• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• Teff

Keep in mind that grains vary in size, texture, and cooking time. Some combinations may cook together beautifully, while others may work best when partially cooked before being combined.

More Gluten-Free Posts

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Enjoy Socca as a snack, an appetizer, or as a main meal, such as the base for a delicious gluten-free pizza.

How to Make Gluten-Free Flour Mixes with Free Checklist

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How to Stock Your Baking Pantry with the Best Ingredients

Be sure to download the free How to Stock Your Baking Pantry checklist too.

Make the Transition Gradually

If your family is accustomed to rolled oatmeal, you don’t have to make a sudden switch to a porridge made entirely with intact grains.

You can begin by adding a small amount of cooked oat groats or another cooked whole grain to your familiar oatmeal. Over time, gradually increase the amount of whole grain as everyone becomes accustomed to the new texture.

You can also start with a simple combination of two mild grains, such as oat groats and hulled barley. Once that porridge becomes a family favorite, begin experimenting with einkorn, emmer, spelt, rye, or another grain that interests you.

Traditional foods are not about changing everything overnight. We learn one technique, become comfortable with it, and then build on what we know.

Soaking Whole Grains

Because whole oat groats, hulled barley, and other whole grains are intact, they take longer to cook than rolled oats or other processed grains.

Soaking the grains before cooking can help soften them and may shorten their cooking time. It also gives you the opportunity to prepare everything in advance. You can put the grains on to soak in the evening and then cook your porridge the following morning.

Depending on the grains you choose, you may also be able to cook your porridge in an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, or on the stovetop. Use the method that works best with your schedule and the particular mixture you are making.

Cook Once and Enjoy Porridge Throughout the Week

Whole-grain porridge is an excellent make-ahead breakfast. You can cook a larger batch, refrigerate it in a covered container, and reheat individual portions throughout the week. When reheating your porridge, add a little water or milk to loosen it and restore its creamy consistency.

You can also portion cooked porridge into freezer-safe containers and freeze it for longer storage. Defrost a portion in the refrigerator overnight, and breakfast will be nearly ready when you wake up.

This approach gives you all the comfort of a slowly cooked whole-grain breakfast without needing to begin from scratch every morning.

Add Your Favorite Porridge Toppings

One of the best things about a simple whole-grain porridge is that you can change the toppings with the seasons and with whatever you have on hand.

Try topping your warm porridge with:

• Fresh berries
• Sliced bananas
• Chopped apples or pears
• Dried fruit
• Homemade applesauce
• A warm fruit compote
• Homemade yogurt
• Whole milk or cream
• Chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds
• Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• Ground cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg
• A drizzle of maple syrup or honey

During the fall, applesauce, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts make a particularly cozy combination. In the summer, fresh berries and homemade yogurt create a lighter bowl while still allowing you to enjoy your whole grains.

You can also make a savory porridge by leaving out the sweet toppings and adding butter, cheese, herbs, sautéed vegetables, or a softly cooked egg.

Keep a Porridge Blend in Your Pantry

Once you discover a combination you enjoy, you can make your own whole-grain porridge blend and store it in a jar in your pantry.

For example, you might combine oat groats and hulled barley in equal portions. When you are ready to cook, simply measure out the amount you need.

As you become more adventurous, try preparing seasonal blends:

• Oat groats, barley, and rye for a hearty winter porridge
• Oat groats and einkorn for a mild, slightly sweet combination
• Oat groats, emmer, and spelt for a pleasantly nutty blend
• Oat groats and millet for a gentler, softer porridge

Be sure to label your jar with the grains you included. You may also want to record the combination, cooking method, cooking time, and amount of liquid in your Kitchen Journal. That way, when you discover a mixture your family loves, you can easily recreate it.

An Easy Step into the World of Whole Grains

If you are just beginning to incorporate whole grains into your traditional foods kitchen, don’t feel that you need to begin by baking bread with freshly milled flour or serving unfamiliar grains as side dishes.

Start with something warm, comforting, and familiar: a bowl of porridge.

Combine oat groats with hulled barley, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy. As you grow more comfortable, begin rotating in einkorn, emmer, spelt, wheat, rye, millet, buckwheat, and other grains.

Little by little, you’ll discover new flavors and textures while creating nourishing breakfasts that your family looks forward to enjoying—especially on those cool fall and winter mornings.

Grand Teton Ancient Grains

Grind Your Own Flour with the Mockmill

When it comes to electric grain mills, after I did A LOT of research, I decided to buy a Mockmill. And am I so happy I did! The Mockmill is a very affordable but beautifully crafted German-made mill that stone grinds grain with settings ranging from 1 to 10—fine to coarse ground grain.

Learn more about Mockmill electric grain mills for making fresh flour and their Flake Lover’s Flaker that flakes whole grain in minutes. (This is not a sponsored post. I bought the Mockmill products that I show you, and I’m a happy user of their devices in my kitchen.)

• Get the Mockmill 100 Stone Grain Mill (Same product I show you in my unboxing video.)
• Mockmill 100 Grain Mill unboxing
• Flake Lover’s Flaker from Mockmill in action (Using this device, you can flake whole grain in minutes.)

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• From Saint Hildegard’s Kitchen: Foods of Health, Foods of Joy