DO IT YOURSELF-HEALTHY BREADS
Bread contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including B group vitamins thiamine (B1), Niacin (B3) which are important for releasing energy from food and maintaining healthy skin, eyes and nails. It contains the B vitamin Folate (Folic Acid) which is important for pregnancy as it can help to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Below are a few of the healthiest bread recipes
1. Wholemeal or Wholewheat Bread-Wholemeal bread is high in fibre, which can improve digestive health by increasing the frequency of bowel movements2. Weight loss. The fibre content of wholemeal bread increases feelings of satiety, which can help you achieve any weight loss goals by helping you feel fuller for longer. Lowers diabetes risk
Ingredients for Wholemeal or Wholewheat Bread:-
Whole wheat flour
Lukewarm water
Salt
Honey
Yeast
Butter
Method:-
1 Prepare the bread dough
2 Proof the dough
3 Shape the bread
4 Final rising
5 Bake the whole wheat bread
2. Cauliflower Bread-each piece of 3 Ingredient Cauliflower Bread has five times the amount of protein, 3 times the amount of fiber and 50% less carbs than a typical piece of white bread.
Ingredients for Cauliflower Bread:
3 cups (300g) Cauliflower rice
6 Eggs
1¼ cups (120g) Almond flour/almond meal/ground almond
1/4 cup (60ml) Olive oil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Baking powder 1-2 tablespoons sesame Seeds
1-2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1-2 tablespoons flax seeds
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). line a 9 x 5-inch loaf with parchment paper,
2. Cut the cauliflower into small florets/Chunks. Working in batches, place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse (in 1-2 second pulses) until the cauliflower has the texture of rice or couscous – don’t over process or it will get mushy. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl beat eggs until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on high speed.
4. Add Olive Oil, cauliflower, almond flour, salt, oregano and baking powder. Stir until incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and flaxseeds on top.
6. Bake for 40-45minutes, until golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, release from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.
3. Sourdough Bread-Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index and glycemic load than white bread and whole-wheat bread that is not fermented. Whole-wheat sourdough is higher in fiber, which additionally lowers the strain it puts on your blood glucose.
Ingredients for Sourdough bread:-
500 grams flour
375 grams water
100 grams starter
11 grams salt
4. Oats Bread-Oat bread can be a healthy choice. They are high in fiber, which among other things can help you manage blood sugars after meals.
Ingredients for Oats Bread:
1 cup (90g) Rolled oats
3 cups (375g) All-purpose/Bread flour
1/4 cup (80g) Maple syrup
1 1/3 cups (320ml) Boiling water
1¼ teaspoons Instant dry yeast
1½ teaspoons Salt
2 tablespoons (30g) Melted butter
Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer combine boiling water, oats, maple syrup, butter and salt. Mix and let cool slightly.
2. Add flour, yeast and stir until dough forms. Knead the dough for 7-8 minutes.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour, until doubled.
4. Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log. Place the log in a lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Cover the pan, let rise for about 1 hour or it's crowned about 1-inch over the rim of the pan.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
6. Brush with water and sprinkle some rolled oats on top of the loaf. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If the bread appears to be browning too quickly, cover with aluminum foil for the rest of baking.
7. Let cool completely before cutting.
5. Flaxbread-Flax bread, which is made primarily from whole-grain flours and flax seeds, is one of the healthiest breads you can eat. This is because flax seeds are highly nutritious and offer a number of health benefits.
Ingredients for Flaxbread:-
Flaxseed
Eggs
6. Avocado Bread-Healthy fats: Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats, which are considered heart-healthy. Fibre: Both avocados and whole grain bread are sources of dietary fibre, which aids in digestion, promotes satiety, delays digestion and can help regulate blood sugar levels.
Ingredients for Avocado Flatbread:-
2 avocados
large bunch of parsley (1/2 cup chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
50 milliliters water
(1/5 cup) juice from half a lemon
2 garlic cloves
320 grams of flour
(2 cups) olive oil
Ingredients for Avocado Bread:-
2 Cups flour
1 1/2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 medium avocado
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 Tablespoon vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon mixed spice
2 eggs
1 cup water you might not use all
1/4 rum
1/4 Vegetable oil optional
1 1/2 Tablespoon butter
Cook time 45 -50 minutes 250 ° c
7. Rye Bread-High in iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and soluble fibre, rye bread is a dark, dense bread with a distinctive earthy taste. Rye bread is considered more nutritious than wheat bread. As well as being super filling, it also contains more fibre and B vitamins than wheat breads.
Ingredients for Rye Bread:-
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 cup rye flour
3+ cups all-purpose flour
cornmeal for dusting
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Instructions:-
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, water, salt, caraway, and rye flour. Add in all-purpose flour 1 cup at a time, adding more if necessary to form a dough ball that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. Dough should be soft, not stiff, but should hold together on its own without being overly sticky.
Transfer to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover with a dish towel and let rise until double, about 1 hour.
Shape it into a loaf by stretching the dough from the top center of the dough ball over the edges, and then underneath. It should look and feel like you are holding the loaf with two hands and are pulling the dough inside out with your thumbs. Give several of those pulls with your thumbs until you have a nice looking little loaf.
Dust a pizza peel or wooden cutting board with cornmeal. Put the loaf on the prepared board and let it rise for another 40 minutes.
Preheat a pizza/baking stone in the oven to 450 degrees. Place a shallow pan on the rack below the baking stone.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the 1/4 cup water. Microwave for 45 seconds. Brush the cornstarch liquid on top of the loaf and cut several parallel lines on the top.
Bake the loaf directly on the stone. When you put the loaf in, pour a tall glass of water into the shallow pan below. It'll pop and sizzle and steam, so watch your hands. Close the oven door and bake for 30 minutes.
