Read Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day: 100 New Recipes Featuring Whole Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, and Gluten-Free Ingredients for Free Online
Authors: Zoe Francois, Jeff Hertzberg MD
are so central to the flavor of many rye breads that a lot of people think that caraway is actually the flavor of the rye grain. It’s not, but for us, something does seem to be missing in unseeded rye bread. The only problem you can run into with caraway seeds (or any other) is that the oil inside the seed can go rancid if they are very old. Taste a few if your jar is older than a year. Otherwise use whatever brand or bulk source you like. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Flaxseeds: These little brown beauties are slightly larger than a sesame seed and pack lots of omega-3 fatty acids, lignans (which may have anticancer properties), manganese, fiber, protein, and other nutrients our bodies need. They seem to protect against everything from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure to even hot flashes. We use them whole to top loaves, but the nutrients are more readily absorbed by the body when they are ground into a powder, so that’s how they’re used in the dough mixtures. Buy ground flaxseed in small amounts—because of its high oil content it tends to become rancid more quickly than other flours. If your flaxseed breads have an unpleasant fishy taste, you know you used rancid flax. You can also buy whole seeds and grind them in a spice or coffee grinder.
Two other points: the Flax Council of Canada (Canada is the world’s largest producer of flax) says:
1. Ground flaxseed can be stored for 30 days in a cool place in an airtight, opaque container, while whole seeds can be kept at room temperature for up to a year. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
2. Despite older references that suggest high heat can break down flax’s nutrients, more recent studies have shown that it can be heated to high temperatures without damage.
Nuts: Store nuts in the freezer so that the oils will not go rancid. Buy them either natural or blanched.
Poppy seeds: Poppy seeds are used in Western, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisines. They, like other seeds, occasionally turn rancid. Taste a few if your jar is older than a year. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Pumpkin seeds ( pepitas ): Buy the dark green pre husked seeds, which are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin. They are rich in minerals, protein, and monounsaturated fat. You can’t eat the husk, so don’t try to use seeds straight out of a pie pumpkin! Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Sesame seeds: Not only do they have a wonderful nutty flavor, but these tiny seeds are full of nutrients. They are a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin B 1 , zinc, and fiber. Black sesame seeds have a stronger flavor than white ones. Try both and see what you think. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Sunflower seeds: These seeds are a great source of vitamins E and B 1 , along with a host of minerals. You can use roasted or raw sunflower seeds in a dough, but if you’re using them on a top crust, use the raw seeds or they will burn at temperatures higher than 375°F. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Other Flavorings
Caramel coloring: Caramel color powder is actually a natural ingredient made by overheating sugar until it almost burns. It’s crucial for pumpernickel breads, in which it provides more than just color—it imparts a bitterness that really complements the wheat and rye flavors in pumpernickel bread. The easiest way to use it is to buy the powder from a baking specialty store or from King Arthur Flour (see Sources for Bread-Baking Products ), but if you can’t easily get it, you can make your own. What you make will be a liquid that is added to recipes; you should decrease liquid ingredients in the recipe to account for the extra you are adding in the form of caramel. Put 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water into a small saucepan. Melt the sugar over a low flame, then increase
Flaxseeds: These little brown beauties are slightly larger than a sesame seed and pack lots of omega-3 fatty acids, lignans (which may have anticancer properties), manganese, fiber, protein, and other nutrients our bodies need. They seem to protect against everything from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure to even hot flashes. We use them whole to top loaves, but the nutrients are more readily absorbed by the body when they are ground into a powder, so that’s how they’re used in the dough mixtures. Buy ground flaxseed in small amounts—because of its high oil content it tends to become rancid more quickly than other flours. If your flaxseed breads have an unpleasant fishy taste, you know you used rancid flax. You can also buy whole seeds and grind them in a spice or coffee grinder.
Two other points: the Flax Council of Canada (Canada is the world’s largest producer of flax) says:
1. Ground flaxseed can be stored for 30 days in a cool place in an airtight, opaque container, while whole seeds can be kept at room temperature for up to a year. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
2. Despite older references that suggest high heat can break down flax’s nutrients, more recent studies have shown that it can be heated to high temperatures without damage.
Nuts: Store nuts in the freezer so that the oils will not go rancid. Buy them either natural or blanched.
Poppy seeds: Poppy seeds are used in Western, Middle Eastern, and Asian cuisines. They, like other seeds, occasionally turn rancid. Taste a few if your jar is older than a year. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Pumpkin seeds ( pepitas ): Buy the dark green pre husked seeds, which are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin. They are rich in minerals, protein, and monounsaturated fat. You can’t eat the husk, so don’t try to use seeds straight out of a pie pumpkin! Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Sesame seeds: Not only do they have a wonderful nutty flavor, but these tiny seeds are full of nutrients. They are a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin B 1 , zinc, and fiber. Black sesame seeds have a stronger flavor than white ones. Try both and see what you think. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Sunflower seeds: These seeds are a great source of vitamins E and B 1 , along with a host of minerals. You can use roasted or raw sunflower seeds in a dough, but if you’re using them on a top crust, use the raw seeds or they will burn at temperatures higher than 375°F. Freeze them if you are storing them longer than 3 months.
Other Flavorings
Caramel coloring: Caramel color powder is actually a natural ingredient made by overheating sugar until it almost burns. It’s crucial for pumpernickel breads, in which it provides more than just color—it imparts a bitterness that really complements the wheat and rye flavors in pumpernickel bread. The easiest way to use it is to buy the powder from a baking specialty store or from King Arthur Flour (see Sources for Bread-Baking Products ), but if you can’t easily get it, you can make your own. What you make will be a liquid that is added to recipes; you should decrease liquid ingredients in the recipe to account for the extra you are adding in the form of caramel. Put 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water into a small saucepan. Melt the sugar over a low flame, then increase
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