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Last posts on private forums:  sare  2008-06-16 09:56:33 matthew 2008-04-12 21:25:59 pieniadz 2008-04-12 20:52:26
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Last posts on private blogs: matthew 2008-04-12 21:25:17 mary 2008-04-12 19:27:47 |
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Lastly added medical terms:
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You are in: Main Page / Medical articles / Dietetics / Baking Bread
When you say bread you think of its many variants, e.g. pita, naan, ciabatta, corn, rye bread, whole wheat, gluten-free, French, Italian or banana bread. Although making bread may not be easy or quick homemade bread is definitely healthier that the one available in shops. How to make your own bread? All you need is a good recipe, ingredients to make a dough (yeast, flour), a pan and the oven. Bread making process can be a calming therapy, read the tips and the recipe below.
Grains and cereals are placed at the base of the food pyramid as they provide the organism with complex carbohydrates which, for dieters, are the major source of energy. Good, healthy bread is totally different to what we can buy in shops, therefore it is advisable to bake it on your own, or at least seek for loaves that contain fiber. Consumption of fiber is said to bring about some useful changes to the organism. Dietitians claim that fiber is a natural way of loosing weight and keeping it. There are dietary recommendation concerning fiber consumption, for example a boy between 9 to 13 years old should eat 31 grams of fiber every day, an adult woman - 21 grams, a man - 30 grams.
Insoluble fiber:
Fiber has many roles, e.g. it helps with defecation, softens stool and shortens the time in which toxic waste is removed from the body, balances the acidity of he intestines. The sources of it are: whole-wheat products, seeds and nuts, corn, fruit skins and root vegetables: celery, green beans, green leafy vegetables or potato skins.
Soluble fiber
Soluble fiber binds with acids and prolongs the time of sugar absorption. That is why it is good for people with diabetes: regulates the level of sugar in blood.
Fermentable for soluble fiber is not absorbed in the small intestine but is partially or completely fermented in the large intestine. Bucyric acid which is an end product of fermentation process has several effects that improve health. It stabilizes blood glucose level, prevents from heart disease, lowers the cholesterol level, reduces the risk of getting cancer by lowering colonic pH which protects the lining of the colon, helps to control weight, has got probiotic functions and improves the properties of the mucosal layer. The sources of soluble fiber: oat bran, carrots, oranges, apples, barley or nuts.
If you do not have time to bake bread on your own try to find a bakery which promotes quality rather than quantity. Make yourself sure that you know what's inside and what type of flour had been used to bake it:
Whole wheat flour - it contains the whole grain, brings health benefits and is the must-have for all those taking care of their health
Wheat flour - less nutritious or healthy than flour
Enriched wheat flour - various vitamins and nutrients are added to it but this type of flour does not contain the bran or the germ which are present in whole-wheat flour
Stone-ground flour - it is almost the same as wheat flour but the process of milling was different.
How to buy a healthy bread
Having all that in mind you should search for breads and rolls which are made of whole-wheat flour. Follow this simple guidelines how to buy good bread:
1. "Wheat" is a key term - search for breads which label consists the word whole, whole-wheat and whole-grain. Such breads contain more fiber and therefore contribute to health improvement
2. Read the list of ingredients - whole-wheat flour is the ingredient which will be the first, it should be unbromated. The term wheat on the packaging is not enough as it may just mislead the buyer.
3. "Made with whole grains" does not necessarily mean that bread is 100% made of whole wheat. Such breads contain more water than whole grains so, once again, read the ingredients list.
4. If you're searching for low-calorie bread try to find bread with thin and light slices, choosing lighter bread will save several calories every day.
The industrial process of baking bread concentrates on maximizing the profits, so in other words producing loaf that doesn't go bad on shelf in shop, full of yeast which makes it light and using poor quality grains. That is why, bread loses its favor, nutritional value and good texture. Not to mention the preservatives which are present in each loaf of bread to reduce the cost of manufacturing. But baking bread is simpler that it seems, all you need a few ingredients to make your own loaf.
How to make bread
If you'd like to take a plunge and try creating your own bread there are many recipes available in the Internet or in cooking books. You can find basic recipes, step-by step instructions to create a master piece of your daily meal. You can create your own gluten-free, high-fiber bread or a banana bread which is quicker to make.
The recipe
(taken from cookingbread website)
To make a whole wheat bread you will need:
1 cup milk
1 tbsp honey
1/2 oil
1 1/4 cup water
2 tsp sugar
2 packages yeast
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 white flour
3 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup wheat flakes
Preparation:
Put the milk, honey ant oil into the pot and cook the mixture until it is almost boiling, cool it afterwards. Put warm water to the bowl, stir sugar and sprinkle yeast over. After 10 minutes add the milk mixture to the bowl, add 2 cups of whole wheat flour and beat it for 3 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients: soy flour, wheat flakes and germ, sesame seeds and the whole wheat and knead dough for 10 minutes. Put it to the bowl which had been covered with grease and put a damp cloth on the top of it. Wait for about 1 and a half of hour. Punch it down, once again cover it with a damp cloth and let it grow for the next 45 minutes. Grease two loaf pans and put the dough into them. Preheat the oven to the 375 F and bake for 50 minutes.
The taste of home-made bread is unforgettable and its wonderful smell is fantastic!
Added by:
mary
not connected with health care system
Added on:
2008-04-24 11:31:48 ,
Updated:
2008-05-15 15:17:13
Bibliography:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/08mini.html
http://www.breadtopia.com/
http://www.cookingbread.com/high_fiber.html
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