Whole grain breads are made from grain
kernels that have not been fully refined
into flour. While finely-ground flour
is included as an ingredient for most
whole grain bread recipes, true fans of
this type of bread avoid using it as much
as possible. Whole grain breads are typically
denser in texture and darker in color
than loaves made from finely-milled flours.
Breads of this type also tend to have
a slightly more bitter flavor than those
using pure flour.
Many nutritional experts have recently
began encouraging people to consume whole
grain breads more frequently, because
they have a much greater nutritional content
than breads made from more processed ingredients.
In addition to larger amounts of vitamins,
minerals and fiber, whole grain breads
also have increased amounts of antioxidants,
lignans, phenolic acids and other elements
that have been shown to help reduce the
risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
Some popular types of whole grains used
in bread recipes include:
-Barley
-Brown rice
-Buckwheat
-Bulgur (cracked wheat)
-Millet
-Rolled and crushed oats
-Spelt
-Rye
-Whole wheat
One of the biggest advantages to whole
grain breads is that they are usually
very low in gluten, or gluten free. Gluten,
which is really a mixture of proteins
commonly found in grains, has been shown
to cause immune system responses that
can be dangerous in some cases. However,
because gluten helps bread to hold its
shape after baking, refined flour containing
it is usually included in whole grain
recipes.
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