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ORIGIN
Usually
bread is named after the grain from which the flour or meal
is derived. There are also variety of flavours and seasonings
added. These could range from garlic, cheese, onion, rosemary,
dill, sundried tomatoes, pesto olives, sesame and poppy seeds.
Many varieties available also indicate the ethnic diversity
of bread: buns, rolls, bagels, baguettes, focaccia, multigrain,
sourdough and whole wheat/brown are a few of the varieties known
in India. Variety
of flours including oats, soybean, barley, millets, ragi etc.
can also be added to whole wheat flour to make different kinds
of breads. In
the US, bread may be made with powdered CELLULOSE as a noncalorie
filler to lower calories. In India breads are being made with
alternate flours to lower their glycemic index. Wheat flour is
ideal for leavened bread because wheat contains, GLUTEN,
a protein that becomes sticky when mixed with water. Dough made
from wheat flour is elastic enough to rise, as bubbles of carbon
dioxide become trapped, thus creating light-textured bread.
In contrast, breads made with only low-gluten flours will tend
to be heavy (dense).
For
most bread is much
less fattening than high-fat foods such as processed meats,
cheese and fried foods. However, spreading BUTTER, MARGARINE,
or mayonnaise on a slice of bread doubles its calories. But
for those who are on controlled carbohydrate diets like those
with diabetes or obese it may be food to be controlled because
of its high glycemic index (ability of food to raise blood glucose).
BROWN
BREAD VS WHITE BREAD: 2000 YEARS OF DEBATE
Hippocrates – the Father of Medicine advised his health patrons and patients to follow the practice of their servants and eat whole wheat bread “for its sanitary on the bowel.”
White
bread is prepared from bleached flour (maida), which is highly
refined (purified). Milling
and bleaching removes or partially removes the germ (nutrient
rich part of grain) and the bran (fibre rich part) leaving mainly
the starch rich endosperm. This leads to loss of more than 22 important nutrients such as FIBER, VITAMINS,
and MINERALS. In advanced countries of the world, Flour is so
widely used that some bakeries follow flour enrichment and replace four vitamins
namely: thiamin niacin, riboflavin, and iron. Other nutrients,
such as Vitamin B6, zinc, manganese, and FOLIC ACID, are not
added. Since in these countries, White bread contains nearly half a gram of fibre a slice, some bakeries
increase the fiber content by adding dates, raisins, bran or
purified powdered cellulose. Crystalline cellulose may not provide
the same fiber benefits in the body as the natural cellulose
that occurs in the bran of whole wheat bread. The
colour and texture of bread are also indicators of whether the
bread is genuinely whole wheat/whole grain:
Also
ask for “whole wheat” not brown if you want an atta bread and
not refined flour (maida) with colour. So, be breadwise next time you go bread shopping.
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