I need a recipe for bread making that is low cal- like the kind one can purchase in the grocery store...light, soft, same width as regular bread but half the calories. Any ideas? Thanks!

-- Jen White (jenwhite@compuserve.com), December 14, 1998

Answers

Pre- or post-Y2K? The directions would probably be different, as well as the the ingredients.

-- Lisa (i'mblonde@too.hmm), December 14, 1998.

If you bake white or whole wheat (healthier, not as light and more filling) bread with only flour, salt and yeast, you'll have gone about as low calorie as you can without eliminating the flour from flour! Take 1 cup of lukewarm water, dissolve yeast (about 1/2 pkg.), add 3/4-1 tsp. salt and stir and knead in as much flour as you need. Let rise, punch down, form and place into greased bread pan, let rise and bake at 350. This isn't for Y2k times, is it? If it is, you will want the calories and wish you could fancy it up with oil, milk, egg. By the way, white flour bread will dry out and/or mold (if kept in a bag) quickly. Whole wheat is more resilient. This is basic bread.

-- Maria (encelia@mailexcite.com), December 14, 1998.

Jen,

If this is a post-y2k recipe you want, and you are expecting food shortages etc., surely you would want a high fat/high calorie recipe! Think about it. Some people on this forum are even thinking of letting their weight creep up next year in anticipation of this very real possibility. Is my thinking a little skewed? :)

Cheers, Andy

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 14, 1998.

This is for post-y2k...my weight has already considerably "crept up" in fact I am trying to loose weight in preparation for the extra work needed during Y2K. I understand your advice about needing the extra calories and believe that I will get them in other ways, but making bread so that I can have twice as many slices for the same amount of calories will help balance things out like so much pasta, wheat, beans, etc.(Probably typical "dieters" thinking on my part - ie "how much can I eat!") Thanks for your suggestions!

-- Jen White (jenwhite@compuserve.com), December 14, 1998.

Jen,

Go to this site to see some guidelines for reducing sugar, fat, and salt in all of your favorite recipes.

http://www.asfsa.org/nutritionnews/REDUCE.HTM

-- Louise (~~~~~@~~~~.~~~), December 14, 1998.

Low fat, low calorie is a "fat, dumb, and happy" American obsession. Should you, after 2000-01-01 find it necessary to bake your own, you'll want it as nutritious as possible (which -- believe it or not -- includes fat and calories). Are you sure you're a GI?

-- trim (trim@eatitall.com), December 14, 1998.

Do you really want to add alpha cellulose (predigested sawdust) to your homemade bread?

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), December 14, 1998.