Many postulates of the past were created on a whim, but they are still relevant and are confirmed by modern research. Back in the 17th century, a tsarist decree banned the sale and consumption of hot bread. Only then was it based only on the fact that the hot, sticky crumb is heavy on the stomach. Today, this fact has been supplemented by the use of refined flour and synthetic products, which inhibit the intestinal microflora and do not carry any benefit.
The generation of people who grew up in times of poor diet with a firm conviction that “bread is the head of everything” does not understand how hot fresh bread may not be very useful. They often recall their only childhood dream - to eat enough. And what a hearty dinner can be without a fragrant crispy bread crust! However, the medical warning that the use of hot baked goods is fraught with serious problems with the stomach and intestines is not unfounded. It makes no sense to convince grandmothers otherwise, because they imply a completely different product.
What the wisdom of the ancestors says
The fact is that the ancestors baked bread from coarse flour, most often rye, to which a large amount of bran was added. Such bread contains more dietary fiber, polysaccharides, which have a beneficial effect on intestinal motility and remove harmful substances from the body. The enzymes found in the bran enhance this action and also aid in the digestion of grain protein. The only contraindication to eating rye bread may be an increased acidity of the stomach. In this case, the rye product can cause heartburn. In one of the written monuments of ancient Russia it is said "if rye bread is not over-fermented and salted, the body nourishes better than others and gives birth to fresh blood."
The dough for baking homemade bread was started without yeast - with sourdough. In Russia, they knew dozens of recipes for making sourdough using hops, rye flour, raisins, cherry juice, and potatoes. Moreover, it was possible not to use a new portion of the sourdough every time, but only to leave a piece of dough from the previous batch. As a rule, round rolls were laid out on a sheet, not oiled, but sprinkled with bran or flour. This allowed to get rid of the oil crust, rich in carcinogens.
Studies prove that bread based on natural sourdough has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, when synthetic yeast, chemical leavening agents, and flavor enhancers suppress it. But even when using such wholesome bread, the moralizing book "Domostroy" advises - "you need to eat it when it is not too soft, but not stale either." If in England freshly baked aromatic bread was available only to members of the royal family, then in Russia 1624 was marked by the severe ban of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich on the sale and use of such a product. The same line of the state was continued by Peter I, who threatened to flog the guilty party with batogs. Bread used for food, according to the canons of that time, should be "fresh, but no longer warm", since "it is heavy for the stomach."
The opinion of modern nutritionists about the use of hot bread
If before it was allowed to sell bread 4 hours after baking, today nutritionists set at least 8 hours. Better yet, eat it every other day. Modern nutritionists agree that hot bread is less healthy than dried or stale bread. However, they believe that fears of possible volvulus from eating fresh bread are somewhat exaggerated. This is possible if you eat a large amount of hot bread after a long fast. Nutritionists are convinced that the warnings formulated in the 17th century are precisely based on cases that were not uncommon in the years of famine.
Today no one will whip for a "fault" in the form of a piece of fresh baked goods eaten, but every person who cares about their own health should understand that it is healthier to eat yesterday's bread. Especially to avoid the use of hot bread is necessary for people suffering from diseases of the liver, pancreas and stomach. The human body does not receive any benefit from white bread made from refined premium flour. If you really wanted to taste it fresh, then let it be a crust, not a crumb, which will stick together in the stomach.
Bread that has just been taken out of the oven continues to ferment and bake until it reaches room temperature. As bakers say, he must "mature, rest." During the cooling phase, gases that can cause heaviness and bloating in the abdomen gradually contract. As the bread cools, excess moisture is removed from it, and the sticky structure becomes looser. At the same time, protein molecules bind to each other, making the bread dense and elastic. In this form, it is already ready for use. The optimal time for bread ripening after baking is considered to be 8 hours.
