100% whole wheat bread includes the bran and the germ of the wheat, making it far healthier and better for you than the vast majority of white bread and other types out there. It is an incredibly good source of fiber and of manganese.
On top of this are the vitamins and minerals: vitamin B complex, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, iron and zinc.
Other than the fiber, vitamins and minerals have a range of health benefits. B complex, for example, will help your body to get energy from the carbohydrates (and bread itself is a great source of slow-release carbohydrates). Vitamin E meanwhile is very good for your skin and can help your body to heal scars and blemishes. Calcium will strengthen both your bones and your tendons and can give you more powerful muscle contractions making you physically stronger. Iron meanwhile can help give you energy by carrying the oxygen around your blood.
Many studies support the benefits of eating whole wheat bread too. For example, one study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that there was a correlation between women who ate whole wheat bread and those who were a healthy weight. The precise finding stated that women who ate whole wheat were 50% less likely to gain weight.
The problem? Finding whole wheat bread that isn’t highly processed! The good news is that this bread is something you can make yourself. That way you get all the health benefits and you get the great feeling of having made something delicious and healthy with your own two hands.
Read on for ten of the simplest and tastiest recipes going.
1. Simple Whole Wheat Bread
Let’s start with a nice and basic one. For this bread, you’ll be combining 3 cups of warm water, .24 ounces of dry active yeast, and 1/3 cup of honey. You’re then going to add five cups of white bread flour and stir to combine them. Let that sit for 30 minutes or whenever it goes bubbly.
Now you’re going to mix three tablespoons of butter (melted), along with another 1/3rd cup of honey, and a pinch of salt. Stir in another two cups of whole wheat flour.
Now you can flour the surface and knead with the flour until it isn’t sticky anymore. You may need to add more flour – up to four cups is fine.
Next, place the dough into a greased bowl. Turn it just once to coat the outside and then cover with a dishtowel or place in a dark cupboard to prove.
Punch down and then divide into your three loaves. Place into loaf pans and then bake at 175 degrees C for 30 minutes.