Soft honey rye bun with walnuts

Eating home-baked bread makes you fat? Or NOT? Think again.

 

 

 

Recently, an online news has been circulating saying that making your own bread and eating it makes you fat. I shrugged it off with a grin. Certainly, many of you may be put off to bake your own bread reading this. But think again. Homebaked bread versus commercial bread. Good quality oil versus trans fat (which may clog your arteries and cause heart related diseases). Good quality molasses or honey versus white sugar. Organic rye flour versus plain white flour. Shelf life of 2 days versus 1 week or more. Think again.. which is healthier, which is not. It's all about the ingredients we use when baking our own bread. Instead of using plain white bread flour, try using wholemeal or rye flour. I have been baking my buns and loaves with rye flour a lot lately. Rye flour retains a large quantity of nutrients and fiber, in contract to refined wheat flour, making it a great choice for those who are wary of gaining weight from eating bread. Here are some of the good recipes for buns or oatmeal with rye:

 

• Rye bun with black sesame and dried apricot
• Charcoal bun with black sesame and fig
• 10-grain oatmeal with rye   

Instead of using butter in my loaves or buns, I use good quality vegetable oil, either grapeseed oil or rice bran oil. The aroma may not be as great as those baked with butter, but I felt better (weighing scale wise) consuming it daily.

 

In addition to those shared above, this is another very good recipe for a soft and fluffy rye bun. Instead of sugar, I used honey which makes it soft and moist when kneading, and very fluffy when freshly baked, just be mindful when consuming. Over-consuming may still cause weight gain despite of the healthy ingredients used.

 

Here's the recipe:

 

First, prepare the scalded dough

• 100g rye flour
• 70g hot water

Combine both with a folk or spoon. There is no need to knead. Just combine and leave in a container in refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients (about 15-20min). You can prepare this ahead and keep in the fridge for up to 24hours. Add into the main dough when the main dough has kneaded for about 5min in the breadmaker (see step 2 below).

 

 

 

The main dough

*The ingredients are listed in the order they are added into my breadmaker

 

• 50g (about 4tbsp) rice bran oil
• 250g water
• 3tbsp honey
• pinch of salt
• 1tbsp tahini  
• 300g high protein flour
• 100g all purpose flour
• 3/4tsp baker's yeast (instant active dry)

• 3tbsp walnut and pumpkin seeds (added in after 25min of kneading time in the breadmaker)

 

1. I have kneaded the dough using the 'DOUGH' mode with my breadmaker.
2. When all the ingredients has combined together, I add the scalded dough in pieces.
3. After about 25min of kneading, I add in the walnuts and pumpkin seeds.
4. The breadmaker would finish kneading and go through a proving phase (about an hour).
5. Once it finishes its DOUGH mode, remove the dough from the breadmaker and punch it to remove trapped air.
6. To make buns, divide the dough into 6-8 equal portions and smooth the dough to round bun shape. Let the dough proof for another 45min or until the dough doubles its original size. **I have always done this second proof in an oven (without turning it on).
7. Brush top of loaf or buns with water and sprinkle with rolled oat.
8. Once the loaf or buns are ready to be baked, preheat the oven to 165deg C, bake for about 20min.