What does the wheat germ contribute? I have all other ingredients easily at hand.

I like toasted wheat germ in bread because it has a mild nutty taste, and creates pretty little specks in the bread. And it makes the bread smell better when you're sinking your teeth into it. The ratio for substituting is generally 1 tablespoon of wheat flour to 2 tablespoons of toasted wheat germ. ;o)

from the looks of the recipe wheat germ is another texture & nutritious "flour"/dry ingredient. I will often substitute more wheat flour or oatbran or spelt flour if I don't have wheat germ on hand.

With all the excellent information (and opinions) imparted here, I have to take exception to looking for wheat germ in bulk bins. Because of the 'very volatile' nature of WG, buy it only from refrigeration or vacuum jars. I keep it in the freezer at home. ...now to check the recipe! And love the recognition of the DSP/RSP books. They were so formative for me -- and I have about 6 copies of DSP, buying any new version that came along. My original has electric stove burner marks on the cover (just one of the reasons I'm so glad to have a gas stove top at last).

Greenstuff, the SF Bay area is known for its own strain of wild yeast, sachromyces sanfranciscus. Generic wild yeast is known as sachromyces exiguus. Either and both travel well on wheat kernels, and one of the ingredients in a wild yeast sourdough starter is whole wheat flour. Hence the omission of any additional yeast. Whatever that has to do with the original question!

What a great set of responses! I'll pick up some wheat germ and give it a whirl.

So funny, AJ. I was reading this thread and my mind wandered back to grad school, when we kept a jar of wheat germ at the ready to sprinkle on our yogurt. I just thinking "Well I don't love wheat either, but wheat germ doesn't taste like wheat" when I got to your "wheat germ doesn't taste like wheat." Recipes for a Small Planet, which followed Diet for a Small Planet is the only cookbook my husband brought to our relationship. Somehow, it's survived the purges, and I just pulled it out. How fun it is! There's a recipe for sourdough starter that begins with "1 tbsp. baking yeast (omit if you live in the San Francisco area)." No explanation! Also no cooked rice bread that I saw and that's a really great idea.

Oh yeah, AJ! Wonderful advice!

QOS, well, one of the best things about wheat germ is that it doesn't taste anything like wheat! You really should get just a bit from the bulk bins at your favorite store that sells it, to give it a try. I spoon the stuff into plain yogurt with lightly sweetened preserves or fresh fruit when it's in season, as one would use granola or nuts. It's absolutely to-die-for. I discovered it a gazillion years ago, when I was in college and "Diet for a Small Planet" was brand new and revolutionized the way many of us thought about food (the original food policy book), and I have had a fresh jar of wheat germ in my fridge ever sense. Make sure you get plain and toasted, i.e., not the honey or sugar coated stuff. ;o)

Thanks! I'm not a big fan of a strong wheat flavor, but I have barley & rye flours here & this sounds pretty fantastic.

Didn't mean to step on your toes, AJ! I just love wheat germ, and this recipe is wonderful!

Hey, thanks, boulangere! QOS, if you don't want to wait to make this until you can get some toasted wheat germ, just sub some whole wheat or barley flour, if you have it. I'd only add 1 T. at first, because wheat germ is so much lighter than flour, but I'd be prepared to add a bit more, if necessary. In this case, measuring precisely isn't that important, because there's so much variability in how much flour will be required, depending on the moisture level of the cooked rice. Have fun!! ;o)

It's very high in vitamin E, and also has a wonderful nutty flavor, quite unlike anything else. When you buy it, store it in the fridge. Vit. E is very volatile and goes rancid quickly. Good to have on hand to add to lots of things: bread (obviously), muffins, biscuits, smoothies . . . .