'Healthy' bread recipes or suggestions

[MrsKoala]

DS1 has a severely self restricted diet and has now reduced it down to chicken sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, cheese on toast, breadsticks, hula hoops, toasting waffles and dry corn flakes.

I am thinking of trying to make bread to maximise the healthiness of the few things he will eat.

I have a Panasonic breadmaker which i haven't used in years and was wondering if anyone had any 'healthy' bread recipes? (he eats brown bread but not with 'bits' in)

[Blondie1984]

There isn't actually anything unhealthy about bread - the fact that he's eating wholemeal (i assume that's what you mean by brown?) is already a plus
Instead I would focus on the other things - e.g. with the sausages could you try some of those new brands that have things like pulses in them? There are some in Tesco called MOR - or try ones with a higher meat content - or even chicken/turkey sausages

Are you getting any help with trying to widen the range of foods he will eat? It might be worth asking your GP to refer you to a dietitian ...and does he take a multivitamin? Bee Wilson has a very good book called "First Bite" which you might find interesting

[MrsKoala]

I know it isn't unhealthy. But i was thinking of recipes which use different ingredients i could hide - like oats and stuff.

We already get the 97% pork sausages and he eats chicken hot dogs.

We see a paed and a nutritionist. They say we are doing everything right and just give vits and laxatives.

Thanks. :)

[4merlyknownasSHD]

I mix linseed (flax), sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in to my bread. Also use a bit of spelt flour to give a slightly nutty flavour to vary the taste (around 50gms in a 2 lb loaf).

[4merlyknownasSHD]

Sorry, about a handful of each seed. It won't change the quantities of anything else in the recipe.

[kateandme]

would you think he would like different mixes.like a onion bread mix.this could go great with his sausage sandwhiches or putting his cheese on.it might vary and expand his flavours.
what about sundried tomato bread mixes.
we love the seeded sainsburys taste the difference flour.so do the fuss pots.warm straight from the beadmaker it doesn't last long!
have you thought of flat bread.then could you add some of his cheese perhaps sausage for a pizza type thing.then slowly add more if he can/likes.
what about poppy seeds
sesame seeds.
bagels

[andylovesme]

Is your bread made already? Are you looking for recipe to make after bread is made or before.

If its former, I have the recipe here:

Mash green leaves with garlic and tofu. Cook it at 100 degrees with a pinch of salt. Stuff it between two breads and toast it.

[PurplePillowCase]

does he like denser, continental style bread?
if yes, using part rye flour would be good.

do you have a spice grinder? that you could use to pulverise oats or millet flakes.

[MrsKoala]

Sorry. I'm looking for bread recipes from the start. At the moment i just buy cheap wholemeal as we go thru so much. I was just thinking about recipes i could hide better stuff in and also not have all the additives that shop bought has. I've never been great with bread - which is why the maker is in the cupboard. So wondered if anyone had any tried any tested recipes.

To me it always tastes really dense and not springy like shop bought - so the texture may be a problem for ds1.

I could grind up seeds in my processor i think.

[PurplePillowCase]

ok, here goes my basic recipe

mix 1 cup flour with 1 cup water & half a teaspoon of dried yeast. leave for 6-8 hours (I do that before morning school run or over night)

add the yeasty mix to 500g flour (I use brown bread flour), another cup water, half a teaspoon salt, a tablespoon oil.
knead until you have an elastic dough and put into bread tin.
leave for about an hour (until double in size).

bake at 200 hour for about 45 min. (I don't preheat the oven as my family do not like crust as much)

if you replace some of the water with milk it will get a softer texture.

[MrsKoala]

Thanks - what kind of bread tin would i need? (i've never baked bread properly before - just in the bread machine). Can i replace all the liquid with milk as DS1 doesn't have any dairy so it would be a good way of sneaking some in. He actually chooses to live on basically bread and water

[PurplePillowCase]

I wouldn't use milk in the starter, would be worried about it turning sour.
bread tin- I use heavy enamel ones, but any would do at the start.

[MrsKoala]

Thanks. Do they need to be a certain size/weight? I might have a browse on Lakeland.

[PurplePillowCase]

they are more or less standard size

[theAntsareMyFriends]

I'm always adding hidden extras to bread to give to my fussy DS.

I put grated carrot, beetroot or parsnip in it. I also add an egg and then slightly reduce to amount of liquid. I replace about half the liquid with milk or chuck in some yogurt. Now I'm making purée for DS2 I often just chuck a few spoonfuls of purée into the bread mix. You can't really taste it and its not much but I figure that every little helps. You can also add ground nuts or chickpea flour to replace some of the normal flour.

I'd say just experiment. Keep an eye on it during the first knead cycle. If it looks dry add a bit more liquid, if too wet add some flour.

[Apileofballyhoo]

If you google Paleo bread or gluten free bread you might get some grain free recipes - which will give you ideas for different things you could add to your wheat bread to make it more nutritious.

Will he eat cake at all? Carrots, beetroot, courgettes, apples and bananas can all be grated into cake.

What does he drink? Fresh juice is lovely. Smoothies are better but I'm not keen on the texture myself tbh.

[MrsKoala]

He only drinks water and a little apple or orange juice from concentrate. Certainly no smoothies or fresh juice.

He only eats chocolate cake. He does eat flapjacks if they have no detectable fruit in (so I make them with puréed dates/apple).

[MrsKoala]

I like the idea of putting egg in as he doesn’t eat any eggs.

[reallybadidea]

I can recommend this recipe for carrot and sesame bread It's not at all dense and heavy, and I think it's probably as healthy as you can get with bread! The tip in it about using a vitamin c tablet in wholemeal bread is a good one, it does seem to give it a lighter texture.

[Highlove]

Chocolate and beetroot cake is lovely. I think there’s a River Cottsge one, or it maybe choc and beetroot brownies.