Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day Cookbook Review
"I saw a birthday card once that said “Happy Birthday—go ahead and eat the bread at the restaurant!” and I thought to myself “Is bread something you can only indulge in on special occasions?” I always eat the bread at restaurants! In fact, I’ve taken to judging restaurants solely based on their availability of complimentary bread and whether or not they offer free bread refills.
When I caught wind of the anti-carb movement, I finally understood that birthday card. So now, like most health nuts, I have embraced healthy breads made with whole grains and wheat. For those who like to make their own bread while saving money and time, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day sounds like a dream come true! The book comprises 100 recipes for quick, healthy bread, from whole grain artisan bread and pizza dough to breads with hidden fruits and vegetables. And of course there are gluten-free recipes as well! But before you get to the recipes, you can read through the book to get educated on the ingredients, the equipment used in bread making, and the health benefits that come with eating a diet rich in whole grains. These chapters not only made me crave healthy bread even more, but they also made it easier for me to follow the recipes later.
I tried the Ten-Grain Bread recipe and was surprised to learn that I didn’t have to search high and low for ten different grains! Instead, the recipe called for some ten grain hot cereal in addition to the usual bread ingredients—wheat, gluten, and yeast. To make the bread, I merely mixed the ingredients in a bowl, set it aside to rise, shaped it into a loaf, sprinkled a seed mixture on top (which was optional), and then baked it.
The book instructs you to slash the top of the loaf a few times before you bake it, which I think made it look extra fancy!
The bread was delicious and nutritious! One taste-tester said, “The bread is tasty, rich, moist and dense--packed with nutritious seeds and grains. It would be great toasted or used in its natural, soft form as sandwich bread. The doughy center, matched with a firm, chewy crust is a perfect combination. It's a great, hearty bread!” And I agree, if I do say so myself!
The book claims that you can have healthy bread in five minutes a day (in fact, that’s the title). While I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the delicious bread that resulted from it, I am still skeptical about the “five minutes a day” claim. Mixing the ingredients took about five minutes, but then I had to let the bread rise for about two hours and then bake for 30 minutes. The real secret behind this book is that you can make a large batch of dough and then bake new loaves throughout the week. It’ll definitely take you more than five minutes a day, but then again, good things come to those who wait."
