Bread in Russian cuisine is an obligatory addition to both first and second courses, as well as the main component of sandwiches and canapés. Bread, especially white, baked from premium flour, contains a lot of "fast" carbohydrates, so many refuse to eat it so as not to gain excess weight. But, having stopped eating bread, you can deprive yourself of not only tasty, but also very useful food.
Main ingredients of white bread
Ordinary white bread consists of flour, yeast and water, as well as some other ingredients, the composition and amount of which may vary depending on the types of this product. Finely ground wheat flour made from refined grains is used for baking. Since the main part of vitamins and minerals is contained precisely in the bran - the upper shell of wheat grains, such flour, although it retains these useful substances in its composition, is in small quantities. Naturally, after heat treatment, during baking, even the rest of the vitamins is destroyed almost completely. This is especially true for B vitamins and, in particular, folic acid. White bread contains a lot of starch, which provokes indigestion and metabolic disorders, as well as the appearance of a disease such as diabetes.
To make the dough fluffy, yeast is added to its composition, which ensures the fermentation process of the dough and the formation of small air bubbles, which make the structure of the baked dough soft and spongy. But yeast, although it is a source of some essential amino acids and biologically active compounds, belongs to trophotropic products that slow down metabolism.
Baking powder or other chemicals that improve the texture of the baked dough can also be added to the dough, as well as a little salt and sugar. But in order to increase the benefits of regular bread, various additives are used, so you can see many types of white breads of various names on store shelves.
What is used as additives in regular white bread
By using various additives, the benefits of regular white bread can be increased. So, when eggs are mixed into the dough, the protein content increases and the taste is significantly improved. True, such bread also hardens faster, and is not stored for long - mold appears. In addition to eggs, milk and butter or margarine are added to butter white bread. Such bread tastes better, but, however, it does not add much benefit to it.
Bran is added to some breads to increase nutritional value. This not only allows you to increase the content of vitamins and minerals, but also increase the amount of fiber. Eating bran bread improves intestinal motility, speeds up metabolism. In addition, the bran enriches the taste of the bread, making it richer. Seeds and nuts can also be used as additives, as well as dried fruits and even spices.
