BreadPhobia

Word does not recognize that breadphobia is a word, however if you have ever changed your diet in an attempt to shrink your waist you have probably put your breadbasket in the compost first. Bread is the most common simple carbohydrate and most trend diets have a flashy tendency to blame carbohydrates as the only culprit to double-digit dress sizes. I took all bread or bread like forms out of my diet immediately and have only recently reintroduced them to my morning breakfast routine, but it has come with a mental struggle. It was not the carbohydrate factor that scared me out of my morning toast it was the gluten, which is in just about every over the counter bread.

After a three-month moratorium on bread I decided breakfast was in dire need of its tasty presence; I bought my first loaf like some recovering addict and did so with such trepidation. I realized that over the past few months I had developed a case of breadphobia. Not only was I nervous about white flour, now I didn’t want the additional carbohydrates to hold me back. I have learned that not all bread is bad, but reading the ingredients is key! Bread is a simple thing really so when the ingredient list reads like a short story leave it on the shelf. Look for words like whole grain and stay away from enriched and white flour.

I have fallen in love with some local bakeries that make excellent whole grain breads with alternative flour such as spelt, quinoa, oat, and buckwheat. Can’t find what you want at your local store? Get out the baking pan and create your own. Here is a great recipe from the newest edition of Living Without:

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Oatmeal Maple Bread MAKES 2 LOAVES

No kneading. No proofing the yeast. No problem! This bread has great texture, perfect for sandwiches or toast. The maple syrup does double duty, adding flavor and activating the yeast. Rolls have a thick, crispy crust with an airy, slightly chewy interior.

2 cups brown rice flour, preferably super-fine grind


1 cup gluten-free oat flour 


1½ cups sorghum flour or millet flour


1 cup tapioca starch/flour


½ cup potato starch


½ cup sweet rice flour


2 packages (2¼ teaspoons each) active dry yeast 


1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 


1 tablespoon salt 


5 eggs, room temperature


4 tablespoons maple syrup or amber agave nectar


½ cup shortening or non-dairy margarine, melted


2½ cups milk of choice (rice, soy, hemp, nut milk), warmed to 110 to 120 degrees


1 egg white, lightly beaten with a fork (to brush tops of loaves)


½ cup gluten-free oats

• Prepare two 9-inch bread pans (or two 8-inch bread pans and 6 muffin tins) by greasing well and dusting with brown rice flour. Set aside.
• Place brown rice flour, oat flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch/flour, potato starch, sweet rice flour, dry yeast, xanthan gum and salt into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds just to combine ingredients.
• In separate bowl, hand whisk the eggs, maple syrup, shortening and milk.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Then mix for 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Batter will resemble a very thick cake batter.
• Spoon batter into prepared pans. This recipe makes two 9-inch loaves or two 8-inch loaves plus 6 dinner rolls. To make the rolls, use a large ice cream scoop to portion the batter into 6 standard-size muffin cups; then divide remaining batter into two 8-inch bread pans.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of the dough with egg white. Sprinkle gluten-free oats on top.
• Let dough rise in a warm place for approximately 40 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place bread pans in preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 (for rolls) to 40 minutes (for loaves). Bread is done when internal temperature reads 200 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a rack.

Each serving contains 150 calories, 5g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 35mg cholesterol, 231mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g protein.

Recipe by Diane Kittle.

peace and baking love,