Being Sugar Free. Getting back to basics in the kitchen. The Bread Machine

Something changed in me when I quit sugar.

I was shocked and angry to learn that everything I knew about healthy eating was wrong. Dang it, I was furious I had been eating tasteless, boring, unsatisfying low fat garbage and removing yummy crispy skin off my chicken for years! Ripped OFF! All those yummy possibilities WASTED!  I was royally pissed at all the health agencies that sprout the incorrect information. I was a woman scorned.

A woman scorned in this instance (me) was a woman that wanted revenge. As I can't go and key the Processed Food Industry's car, or kick the Heart Foundation in the guts (unfortunately), I can do the next best thing and rebel against them. Getting "back to basics" cooking and escaping the processed food supply as much as I can is a good place to start. That and comment bombing their Facebook page also help *insert evil laugh here*.  

It was very clear to me that the bread we were eating was full of crap. I was buying $10 loaves of gluten free bread on a fortnightly basis for myself that had canola oil, sugar and soy. Blergh. For the rest of the family they were eating regular supermarket bread. Let me tell you, I have read the ingredients on every single loaf of bread at our local supermarket (much to the horror of other shoppers who were wondering what the hell I was doing reading bread labels late one Tuesday evening) and ALL of them contain at least one of the 3 nasties - seed oil, sugar or soy. 

I couldn't make my own bread could I? OMG. Ludicrous! Really who does that? At first the sound of it was just bloody ridiculous, but I dug up an old bread machine and started using it. Then it blew up shortly after and it had me in a bread machine buying frenzy the day after. There is nothing I love more than a shiny new appliance with all it's buttons and possibilities.....

I bake fresh loaves every 2nd day and have stuck with it for a good few months now. My kids will not eat regular supermarket bread anymore. They want "Mummy's soft bread" (bless them). It couldn't be easier, I chuck in all the ingredients and in 3 and a half hours later out comes a beautiful fresh loaf of crusty bread. I bake a small loaf which keeps nicely for a few days, and have an emergency loaf in the freezer, in case I find myself too busy wiping bums and no time for other tasks.

Did I mention the wonderful smell that wafts through the house? YUMMO

My gluten free loaf cooked in the bread machine. Looks a lot like a something you'd use to build a house with.
Thankfully it doesn't taste like something you'd build a house with.

I've made Raisin bread in the bread machine using wholemeal flour, Rice Malt Syrup, cinnamon and a hand full of sultanas. Ok the sultanas are obviously a source of sugar but when you get about 3 in one slice of bread I don't think it will put your health in danger.

I've made the kids bread rolls. Cheese and bacon rolls. I make all my own gluten free bread (milling the grains in the Thermomix) and letting the bread machine do the rest.

All the expert bakers insist you need sugar to make a good loaf of bread for the yeast to activate. What a load of crap. I use no sugar in my loaves and they work out just fine. 

Apart from eating a lot healthier, we are also saving money. Two loaves of wheat bread a week used to cost around $6. Now the cost would be around $2 a week. Ok so not such a huge saving alone but it adds up over time. I save $10 a fortnight by not buying gluten free bread at all and making it myself. One loaf of GF bread costs me around $3 to make at home and it's much larger than the ones you can buy.

Fresh baked wheat bread with all it's gluten intact for my family who are not cursed with Coeliac disease.

There are some great bread machines on the market. If you are Coeliac, then get a machine that is fully adjustable and can handle gluten free bread. They start at around $99 which is quite a good investment I think.

There really is nothing more exciting than watching it knead the bread, seeing it rise and smelling it when it's cooking. Who knew baking bread could be so much fun? Ok, maybe I just need some more excitement in my life......

Who would have actually thought that I would be making my own bread from scratch!

Let's not forget that WOW it tastes amazing!

Next time I will be talking about my other much loved appliance, the Thermomix which has also helped us get back to basics.