Trying to eat less processed food this year - within reason.
My god don’t read the ingredients on a bog standard loaf of supermarket bread!
Anyone recommend a brand that is widely available and a bit less… synthetic?
My god don’t read the ingredients on a bog standard loaf of supermarket bread!
Anyone recommend a brand that is widely available and a bit less… synthetic?
Comments
The co-op sourdough basically is flour, water, salt. The rising agent is fermented flour and water.
Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with the ingredients list you have there
I buy cheap supermarket bread from Lidl - long list of indredients but the worst thing in it - to my taste - is the baking powder. Some might call it UPF but it would be meaningless in that case.
You can see it turns back into undercooked dough.
You won't get rid of the flour additives though.
https://www.ukflourmillers.org/bread-and-flour-regulations
These preservatives are actually despite the e no codes a mixture of perfectly organic ingredients.
https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/
Bread only needs 4 ingredients
Available in all supermarkets
That way you can just defrost the number you want and not over indulge
Add shopping for bread daily to the list of things you don't have time for.
It's actually quite easy to do it by hand once you have the habit.
I'm guessing it wasn't the cheapest one ?
To be fair,, it costs more than supermarket sliced, but a hell of a lot less than some artisanal sourdough.
https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/no1-wheat-rye-sourdough-sliced-bread/653720-373403-373404
Read this and reconsider whether it's really necessary.
I make a very no frills bread (just flour, water, yeast, salt) which is tastier and more filling than supermarket bread
Takes 3 hrs end to end and needs little hands on time.
If I, the most poorly organised man, can manage it, it's promising for most other people.
Yeast
Flour
Butter
Salt
Sugar
Water
That's it, zero ultra processed ingredients and really delicious
Set the timer for it to be ready for breakfast, the smell is devine 🍞
https://www.johnlewis.com/panasonic-sd-b2510wxc-automatic-bread-maker/p5445753
https://www.jasonssourdough.co.uk/
70g Self Raising flour
70g Greek yogurt
1 tbsp cooking oil
(Adjust quantities for more)
Mix and roll. Fry for flat bread or oven cook - delicious, so easy and super healthy!
Both available from waitrose.
With that said, once you’ve spent a year or so reading labels, it gets way easier. I buy Full Circle pretty much all the time now for this reason, but plenty of actually good stuff is out there if you have a little patience.
We’re rewarded with this in the morning.
22 years!
I have yet to make a loaf of bread that bakes in the bread machine that isn't just adequate.
We've become used to all the softening and stabilizing ingredients in commercial breads.
I don’t have the patience for sourdough.
https://youtu.be/13Ah9ES2yTU?si=TAKRFNvhVQJV9GOl
Lovely stuff.
If you start baking your own, beware of the UPF additives in your yeast!
https://www.sustainweb.org/news/apr24-additive-free-dried-yeast-for-real-bread/
Takes at least a day with overnight cold proving.
But worth it.
https://www.nigella.com/recipes/old-fashioned-sandwich-loaf
The easiest breads would seem to either be a flatbread (See Jamie Oliver at https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/bread/navajo-flatbreads)
Or (Irish) soda bread https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/irishsodabread_67445
1) Buy a bread maker and make your own yeast-based bread. You can have fresh bread with no additives whenever you want.
2) Learn to make sourdough which is better for your digestive system.
Personally, I do both.
⚠️ May cause you to fall down an internet rabbit hole of bread maker reviews
Why do I suddenly feel like my life can’t be complete without a bread machine?
Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Salt, Fermented Wheat Flour
Makes the best toast ever.
https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-yeast-bread-recipe-no-knead/