Yesterday I brought the bread maker up from out of the basement and dusted it off, looking forward to fresh bread and filling the house with that wonderful aroma. Bread machines take practice because different models of bread makers will produce different results. Without looking at my own recipes (!) my first effort was a disgusting lump (although Tony ate it). I tried using all whole wheat flour following a recipe that came with my Oster bread maker and the bread was way too dense. I also made a vegetarian main dish of braised mushrooms over cornbread and that recipe was not a keeper either. It’s a bit frustrating after using all those ingredients and time and not getting something great. Some days are fails, and you have popcorn and a movie and get over it. Today I celebrated the new day with leftover blueberry cake and coffee, with oatmeal to make it extra healthy.
We would lose weight if we cut way back on carbs but I don’t see that happening with an Italian spouse and me having no willpower over great bread. Following a diet that minimizes carbs makes sense especially if you’re focusing on simple carbohydrates, which are in white bread and white sugar. A high intake of whole grains consistently reduces the risk of cancer, while consumption of refined grains, like white flour, increases risk for cancer of the mouth, stomach, colon, larynx, and esophagus.
Here is a list of percentages of nutrients lost when whole wheat flour is refined into white flour enriched with synthetic vitamins and bleached with chlorine gas.
Protein: 22%
Fiber: 75%
Calcium: 56%
Magnesium: 84%
Phosphorus: 70%
Potassium: 71%
Zinc: 73%
Vitamin B6: 89%
Vitamin E: 92%
At least buy the best whole grain breads you can, and preferably sourdough if you don’t like the sprouted grains. I’ll share my daughter’s sourdough recipe after I make sense of it. She has a continuous jar of starter and turns out one excellent load after another.
