Start Baking Home Baked Healthy Bread

Fresh, home-baked bread - everyone's favourite. We are most fortunate to have an organic  flour mill close to home and visited recently to buy a few items. We were pleasantly surprised by the wide range of products available and were especially impressed with the number of certified organic grain flours and gluten-free products for sale. Having used a bread machine successfully for many years, this recipe is based on the manufacturer's cookbook for whole wheat bread with a few changes made as follows:

Organic Spelt Bread Ingredients

1 ⅓ cups Water (or use whey or cooled potato water)

2 tablespoons Powdered skim milk

2 tablespoons Shortening (I always use unsalted butter)

2 tablespoon Honey

1 ½ Teaspoon Salt

1 ¼ cups 100% Organic whole wheat flour

1 ¾ cups Organic Spelt flour

1 ¼ teaspoon Yeast (check it is “fresh”)

Directions

1.Place ingredients in above order in baking pan

2.Place baking pan in bread machine

3.Select Whole Grain Setting (which takes 4 hours and 10 minutes on our Black and Decker bread maker)

4.Press Start. There is a time delay to preheat before mixing begins

5.Remove bread when “beep” sounds – its hot so wear mitts

6.Cool on wire rack before slicing

7.Note: When first “beep” goes (with about 3 ½ hours to go) add nuts, oats, dried spices, etc of your choice

This is the healthy way to avoid possible carcinogenic preservatives, additives and emulsifiers as well as possible allergens.  This loaf  had great texture and taste and received lots of compliments!  The fragrance while baking is comforting as is a meal of fresh-baked bread and butter with a bowl of homemade soup! A wonderful winter lunch or dinner for everyone in the family.

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods;
and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”
James Beard (1903-1985)

Extra Notes

• Bread is one of life's necessities. It is so disappointing to read the ingredients in store-bought, processed bread. Home made has been our choice for many years.
• If a member of your family has allergies next time you are buying bread please take time to read the ingredients label.
• Some of the additives used in bread processing : Calcium propionate, caramel colour, chlorine bleach, dextrose (a sugar), hydrogenated oils (contains trans fats), l-cysteine hydrochloride, mono and diglycerides (emulsifier - synthetic or animal plant fats), sodium stearoyl lactate, sodium metabisulphite, sulphur dioxide (a food preservative which may induce asthma), and potassium bromate (possible carcinogenic) which is banned in Europe.

Simply because an ingredient is in a lot of foods
does not mean it is good for you - Liz

• Many more grocery stores are now selling 100% organic whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, spelt and rice flours
• It's great to make bread from scratch, especially when working full-time outside the home. Using a bread machine was, and is a real-time saver.
• A good idea: my bread machine was a Christmas gift more years ago than I care to remember

Links & References

• Black and Decker Automatic Bread Maker Cookbook
• Hemp Seed nutrition data
• Flax Seed nutrition data
• Bran nutrition data
• Check out products available and recipes to try at Anita's Organic Mill

“Blues is to jazz what yeast is to bread. Without it, it's flat.”
Carmen McRae, Jazz vocalist and pianist. (1920-1994)

Update: 2016

Our Daily Bread

We have a "new to us" B&D Bread Maker which bakes a larger loaf. Our basic bread recipe has not changed over the years: we choose healthy, nutritious organic and unbleached flours but add half a cup of mixed seeds / cereal. These extra ingredients are packed with healthy nutrients and add a nutty flavour to your bread. Add half a cup of  the following foods before the yeast:

• 3 tablespoons of raw Hemp Heart seeds packed with Omega-3, 8.5, 6 & protein
• 2 tablespoons of freshly ground Flax Seed, rich in Omega-3, lignans & dietary fiber
• Balance of the half cup made up of unsweetened grain or bran
• Nutrient values not significantly decreased during baking

Hmm, just as delicious and chemical free as ever. You will want to start brown-bagging your own lunch with this delicious bread!

To store:

• As this home-baked bread has a crust leave it cut side down on your cutting board on your counter
• Stale bread is good for stuffing, puddings or toasted croutons
• Extra bread can be frozen - for sandwiches slice the bread when cool and package in quantities required
• Hint : only bake enough bread for 3 or 4 days use at a time