foodstoriesblog

With my recent knee procedure, Its been really challenging getting back in the swing of regular activities so Ive had a lot of time on my hands. For me, this can be dangerous because I have time to research and ponder various things. Other times, it can be quite therapeutic & advantageous. I think todays post is of the latter.

When I do eat carbs, I try to eat the highest quality. When it comes to baking, I usually try to bake with whole wheat; however, recent reading has shown me that rye has a lower glycemic index than wheat flour which I never knew. In a nutshell, glycemic index refers to the ranking system regarding the speed with which carbohydrates are processed in the body; and, subsequently, the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels. Being a type II diabetic, this is very important to me.

A slower burning carb is the best carbohydrate for my nutritional health so I decided to try to modify my whole wheat bread machine recipe to include as much rye as possible. Honestly, I prefer to make my bread by hand but the bread machine is making things pretty easy these days so I can limit my hobbling around in the kitchen. If you like a dense, grainy bread from a bread machine then this recipe will be great for you.

Rye Bread (bread machine)

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups water
• 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups rye flour
• 1 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 Tbsp oat bran
• 3 Tbsp flax seed, ground
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, brown
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, black
• 2 Tbsp caraway seeds
• 5 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1.5 Tbsp dry milk powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 2-1/4 tsp instant yeast

Instructions

1. Pour water into bread pan.
2. Add olive oil.
3. Mix together rye flour, wheat flour, oat bran, flax seeds, sesame seeds, caraway seeds & whole wheat pastry flour together & add to bread pan.
4. Add sugar, milk powder, salt and vital wheat gluten to bread pan. I like to add these around the perimeter of the pan (example, salt in one corner, sugar in another, etc).
5. With a spoon, create a divet in the middle of the flour mixture & pour instant yeast into the small indentation.
6. In my bread machine, I bake on the whole wheat, quick setting which takes about 2:08 hours.
7. Makes 1.5 lb loaf.