Do You Know What’s in Your Bread?

Mmmmm… bread. I LOVE bread. So much so that if I were stranded on a deserted island, I would so need bread to keep me going.

My son has that same love of bread too and when he was born my husband and I both made it our mission NEVER to purchase white bread for our son — only the goodness and wholesomeness of wheat bread will touch this kid’s lips. Thus, the child now prefers “brown bread” rather than the “yucky white bread.” Woohoo, mission accomplished. This child is eating nothing but healthy wheat bread, right?

Errrr—WRONG. We were eating wheat bread, but it wasn’t as wholesome as we thought. D’oh!

Synthetic Additive Found in U.S. Breads — Banned in Other Countries
This past spring I read a blog post titled "Stop Eating Chemicals" on the Solid Body Fitness site written by Solid Body Fitness Founder, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and fellow Dedham Patch blogger . The first sentence of his post said it all and made me think twice about the bread we were eating. It read: “How was that Azodicarbonamide & L-Cysteine sandwich?” Oh my goodness, I never thought to question or read the bread ingredients list.

What the heck is azodicarbonamide?! Surely that’s not listed on our wheat bread, right?

To my surprise it was indeed. Hmmm, well, it can’t be that bad, can it? After looking into it online, I found out that not only is it a synthetic chemical used in foamed plastics, it’s also added to most commercial breads found at the grocery store and restaurants as a dough conditioner and may heighten allergic reactions to other ingredients in food. It could also potentially cause asthma.

I wasn’t liking the sound of that. I researched some more and it turns out azodicarbonamide is banned as a food additive in Australia and Europe and using it in Singapore carries a hefty 15-year imprisonment and a $450,000 fine as well.

Whuuut?! Whoa! So why the heck is it in MY BREAD?! My attention then turned to the ingredients list itself. The bread we were purchasing listed 30 ingredients. Seriously? 30?! Unbelievable — it’s just bread.

Breaking It Down
A plain bread recipe is pretty basic: flour, water, yeast, little sugar, butter and a bit of salt. I’ve seen some recipes with honey, molasses, orange juice, oil and milk as well, but most of the time that’s just for texture and flavor purposes. But if the ingredients for bread are so basic, why am I finding 30-40+ ingredients listed on some of the commercial breads available at the grocery store these days?

I understand companies want to preserve their products until the consumer purchases and consumes it, but is it really worth ingesting so many additives and chemicals, whether natural or synthetic, for the sake of convenience, longer shelf life, and a softer more appealing-looking bread? Hmmmm, not for me—no thanks.

After learning about azodicarbonamide, I decided then and there to stop purchasing the bread we had been eating as a family for six years and find a healthier alternative—one that contained natural and whole ingredients and a significantly shorter ingredients list.

Alternatives to Overly Processed Breads
Once I started looking I realized that there were definitely healthier alternative all ranging in different price ranges — with organic breads probably being the most expensive of the lot.

If you find yourself concerned about the number of unfamiliar and at times synthetic ingredients found in your bread, I encourage you to find an alternative that fits your budget.

They are out there whether you visit specialty/organic or conventional grocery stores, local farmer’s markets, or local bakeries—you just have to do a little bit of comparison shopping.

Homemade Bread
My family tried a few different brands from different stores and a couple from a local bakery but we weren’t quite happy with any of them.

Don’t get me wrong, they were all delicious but it was proving difficult finding “new” bread that we all liked. Some were too dry. Others just had a texture or flavor my son wasn’t too keen on.

So, being a stay-at-home mom and having a bit of extra time on my hands, I decided to do something crazy — I started baking my own bread. OMG—what was I thinking? When am I going to fit running, gym, playtime with my son, errands, housework, etc., if I started baking my own bread? But then I thought, “I stay home, eh, why not.” I decided to at least try it once. Well, I started baking in early spring and I am still at it.

The bread-making process can be long. It takes me about 5 hours from start to finish to make one loaf by hand (15-20 minute prep time, two 2-hour rises and 35 minutes to bake), and we consume two loaves per week, so suffice it to say, this route is not for everybody at all.

Although it’s a long process, I’ve learned to work around the dough rising which takes 4 hours total, so it’s not as time consuming as it first was. I also find satisfaction in knowing EXACTLY what’s going into my family’s tummies and knowing how fresh it really is. But the best part is seeing my son truly enjoying the bread I bake. Even at five years old, he understands and appreciates the time I take to bake fresh bread for us—that means the world to me.

If you can find the time to bake fresh bread, try it—even if it’s just one time. The satisfaction of making it with one's own hands is super! There are plenty of recipes online and the process sounds harder than it really is. If I can do this, anybody can.

A Little Attention Can Go A Long Way
Whether it’s store-bought, from the farmer’s market or fresh baked homemade bread, one thing is for sure, you’ll be eating a much healthier bread if you just pay a little attention to the ingredients list. And if you do decide to bake it yourself—happy baking! :)