Bread

In the furor to avoid carbohydrates it seems there is disregard to the value of grains in our diet. As if that weren’t bad enough many deprive themselves  and their family the pleasure of eating a good quality whole grain bread baked at home.

Whole grains contribute to our nutritional profile in such important ways. Have you ever looked at the variety of grains we have available? It’s not just wheat, although that’s a major component of most breads. You can incorporate multiple grains in one bread for enhanced nutrition, flavor and texture.

Why not start baking your own breads this week? Start with the simplest quickest recipes, and experiment by mixing small amounts of various grains to see the results. If you’re too timid a cook to do that, try adding a variety of seeds and even some vegetables to the dough before baking and you’ll be surprised at the results. Why not start baking today?

One of my favorite simple home made bread recipes adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, 2006

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The Easiest 100% Whole Wheat Bread Ever

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
  
• ¼ cup orange juice
  
• 3 Tb molasses
  
• 3 cups traditional whole wheat flour
  
• ¼ cup non-fat dry milk
  
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
  
• 2 tsp instant yeast
  

Feeling adventurous? 
Try adding: sunflower, caraway, poppy, sesame, hemp, pumpkin, flax or chia seeds 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
   
2. Grease an 8 ½ X 4 ½ inch pan well
   
3. Combine all ingredients in large bowl of electric mixer and beat vigorously for 3 minutes on medium speed.
   
4. Scoop batter into prepare pan
   
5. Cover pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, let the dough rise for 1 hour. Dough remains flat as it rises
   
6. Bake the  for 45 minutes, tenting with foil after the first 20 minutes.
   
7. Bread bakes to a golden brown and center is done when it reaches 190°F
   
8. Let bread cool for at least 5 minutes. Turn into a rack.
   
9. For a soft crust brush with melted butter
   
10. Let bread cool for 30 minutes before slicing – but who can ever wait that long?

For an extra delicious and nutritious bread dish use this bread recipe for the 
Baked Dressing Casserole (p 32) or the Breakfast Bread Pudding (p 33) in 
Flavorful Fortified Food