Bread is the number one food in Russia, and it is also a constant subject of controversy. There is still no consensus on which bread can be considered healthy. In addition, it is not entirely clear how to choose bread and how to store it properly. These questions were answered by a scientist from Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI).
It is not worth giving up bread if there is no doctor's recommendation. One of the main products contains B vitamins necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system, as well as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and zinc. The reason for not eating bread may be gluten intolerance or celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which eating gluten leads to intestinal damage. In other cases, bread will benefit and provide energy for a long time, especially if it is prepared with useful additives.
"First of all, you can use flour of different types and grades — rye, whole grain, corn, buckwheat flour, and recently popular green buckwheat flour. It is good to add flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. This way the bread will get a special taste, and the body will receive more nutrients," said Anastasia Kopylova, Associate Professor of the Department of Technology and Organization of Food Production at NSTU-NETI, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
This advice is especially relevant for those who bake bread on their own, as well as those who follow long fasts when the body risks not getting the necessary nutrients. In the latter case, Anastasia Kopylova advises using protein isolate for baking, a highly refined form of protein that is obtained from soy. You can replace some of the flour with an isolate, and you can cook with a "pure" isolate.
Despite the benefits, eating a lot of bread is not recommended: the diet should be balanced. The restriction even applies to rye bread, which is popular among adherents of a healthy lifestyle. Although, as Anastasia Kopylova assured, there is no bread made from rye flour alone: it is very difficult to cook it technologically, so manufacturers add wheat flour to the recipes.
"The bread that we call rye is actually rye-wheat, because wheat contains gluten, a complex of protein substances that provides organoleptic quality indicators that satisfy the taste preferences of the population," the scientist explained.
According to Anastasia Kopylova, there is no bread without yeast. The familiar yeast—free bread is just a marketing ploy. "This bread is made with starter cultures, which necessarily contain yeast, but not industrial, but so-called "wild". But the most important thing is that there is nothing bad or harmful to the body in yeast — they simply do not get there, they die at high temperatures during baking," the expert explained.
It is best to consume bread within the specified shelf life: manufacturers are responsible for this — they conduct microbiological studies, take into account the contact of different types of raw materials and humidity. Cellophane packaging does not affect the shelf life, it is needed to protect the bread from contamination. Although, according to Anastasia Kopylova, it can also do harm.
"The main thing is at what point the bread was packed. After baking, it must ripen and lie down to redistribute moisture — this is a necessary step in the technological process of any bakery product. If the manufacturer skips this step and puts the bread in cellophane, conditions appear for the growth of bacteria and mold. In this case, paper packaging wins," she said.
Bread can be stored in the refrigerator for longer than the stated shelf life, but its organoleptic properties become worse there. To restore the taste and satisfying aroma, the bread will have to be "reanimated" — reheated or toasted.
Whether to buy bread marked with All-Union Standard (GOST) or without it, each consumer decides for himself. "Not all types have GOST standards, but all manufacturers have the opportunity to develop technical specifications and technical instructions and produce their own bread according to them. There is nothing wrong with this, it is a question of the possibility of increasing the assortment in order to satisfy the population both in terms of taste and benefit," Anastasia Kopylova explained.