Observations

The Black Oil

Around 6-8 weeks ago (perhaps more) we stopped buying loaves of brown bread (the wholemeal or whatever, not the fake dyed stuff) and started making your traditional ish Irish brown bread, again. We stopped eating white a number of years ago, I can't stand it. Anyway, since this recent change I've noticed I don't eat as much in general, including some occasional moments when I seem to 'forget' I'm hungry or maybe I'm just not..I've also noticed that my sweet tooth has been more or less been decommissioned - I'm just not really tempted to buy sweets or chocolate any more. I'm quite happy with this change and a little surprised how filling home made brown bread is compared to loaves. Other than that we make some smoothies with frozen berries, fruit, various seeds - sunflower, flaxseed, pumpkin, some yoghurt, raisins, etc. A good mix of the seeds goes into the brown bread, too. My breakfast tends to be bran flakes or muesli (the non-stinking with sugar variety) I don't drink tea, coffee, coke, fanta, etc - more of a hot chocolate fan, but tend to take mostly water during the day.

All that's needed is proper exercise, oops. Anyway, just thinking out loud.

metamorphosis

Not surprising. Especially since 90% of 'brown' loafed bread in the shops is not brown at all and wheat flower will be listed as on eof the main ingredients.

Wheat flower = white flower = same as white bread

I love making my own bread much more thick and filling. nomnomnom

The Black Oil

Indeed. Think I'm going to make some more today. We've 3 different recipes for it.

I've never consciously gone on a diet, but I'm surprised how this easy transition (if that's the right word) has been.

baybike

Black Oil,
Can you post your recipes for us? I've given up white bread too, but buy brown for the kids, but I kind of feel I'm being duped. So if I could get them to eat homemade stuff, it'd be great!

The Black Oil

Have stopped making toasted sandwiches as well.

Don't forget to try www.odlums.ie

Recipes

1. Yeast bread is from herehttp://www.thegoodmoodfoodblog.com/2009/03/irish-brown-yeast-bread.html

2. Brown Bread

1/4 cup of pinhead oats
1/2 cup of porridge oatlets
1 cup stoneground wholemeal flour
1 & 1/2 cups of plain white flour
1 & 1/2 cups of buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Method

Sieve white flour and baking soda into a large mixing bowl
Add the other ingredients, mix with a fork. Do not knead.
Drop mixture into a greased tin
Bake in an oven for 40-45 minutes, temperature 200 degrees celsius







3.

This should make two loaves, don't use big mugs, just cups.

3 cups of cream flour
3 cups of coarse/extra course wholemeal
3 cups of buttermilk
3/4 cup of sunflower oil
1 teaspoon of bread soda

Method
Mix the dry ingredients together (sieve cream flour and bread soda, btw).
Make an O in the mixture
Add the sunflower oil
Add the buttermilk
Bring the dry mixture in from the edges with a spoon.
Keep the mixture quite loose
Fold in from edges, gently, not hard

Bake for 25-30 mins at 200' C celsius. Maybe a little longer depending on your oven. Can be scones if you prefer, less baking time for those, obviously.
We always add in a few seeds as well. We blitz sunflower, pumpkin, flax, etc in a hand blender and use them here or in smoothies.

baybike

Oh God, those photos...I can nearly smell the divine just cooked smell of bread off them!!!
I'll try the brown bread recipe tonight - thanks!

I have a recipe for a white bread that uses natural yoghurt as the only liquid, and has orange zest in it, which is pretty tasty. I might try mix that recipe into one of your healtier brown recipes and see how it tastes.

Damn it to all hell....now I am hanging for a slice of bread!

Lux23

The Black Oil wrote: »

Have stopped making toasted sandwiches as well.

What's wrong with toasted sandwiches? They are my favourite, add so much more to the usual boring sandwich.

Khannie

Losingit wrote: »

What's wrong with toasted sandwiches?

Not a thing. I love toasted home made brown bread. Om nyom nyom nyom.

The Black Oil

Nothing wrong with toasted sandwiches. I just seem to have lost interest in them, to be honest, and the bread above isn't the best for sandwich machines, really.

Hmm, I'm concerned I may not be getting enough nutrients now. I think I'll have to up the veg intake and maybe not leave such a long gap between eating.

Lux23

The Black Oil wrote: »

Nothing wrong with toasted sandwiches. I just seem to have lost interest in them, to be honest, and the bread above isn't the best for sandwich machines, really.

Oh yea. I got a fright there that my favourite lunch was loaded with bad stuff.

The Black Oil

Have recently moved to just using unsalted butter. Can't say I miss the salted variety in any way.