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Is bread machine bread healthier than store bought?

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Jody's Bakery
Is bread machine bread healthier than store bought?

For whenever you’re feeling: Like you want to try something new; when you want to impress your family during holiday get-togethers; when you want to smell something mouth-wateringly delicious.

What is: There’s really nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread, especially in the morning, with a cup of coffee, preferably served by a hot human. But many of us have to lug ourselves all the way over to the bakery to get a loaf, and who has the time (or the energy — we’re lazy) to do that? Certainly not us.

But with the holidays on our heels, we feel like we have to step it up. There are parties, brunches, dinners, and all sorts of family gatherings coming up, so what better way to be an excellent guest than by making your own bread and gifting it to the host?

How it can help: There are a couple of ways you can do this:

1. Use a bread maker or

2. Make it from scratch. Either way, you’re going to get a yummy loaf, so it depends on whether you have the time and inclination to do it all yourself or not.

Whatever method you choose, you’ll still reap the benefits.

Homemade bread is more delicious for starters because you can customize the bread to be whatever flavor you want. There are so many Christmas bread recipes that can be tweaked depending on what you like: gingerbread, pistachio, white chocolate cranberry pecan (omg, get in our belly), German Christmas stollen, orange cranberry, Amish cinnamon, and pumpkin.

Not only is it tastier, but homemade bread is also more nutritious than your store-bought variety because you can control what goes in it. On the other hand, you can make your bread less healthy, too, and that’s totally fine!

You can choose the kind of flour (white or whole wheat), eggs, and dairy, and you can control the amount of sugar that goes in. You also don’t have to worry about added fructose corn syrup or dextrose, which, as Livestrong.com notes, “offer empty calories.”

Homemade bread also has lower sodium and doesn’t contain trans fats (unless you add margarine or vegetable shortening); substitute it with healthy unsaturated fats such as olive oil. Store-bought bread will also contain preservatives and artificial ingredients to give it more flavor and have a lengthier shelf life.

Aside from the nutritional value, baking your own bread is good for your mental health.

Mixing the ingredients, kneading the bread (hot tip: if you ever find yourself frustrated or angry, take it out on the dough. It’s very satisfying), and watching the dough rise can be soothing.

And while there’s online anecdotal evidence on the benefits of baking, science backs it up, too.

In 2017, five mental health residents at Bethlem Royal Hospital in London spent six two-hour sessions baking bread by hand and answered weekly questions about how they felt. They reported feeling happier, creative, and having a sense of achievement. They also revealed that baking bread made them feel relaxed, less anxious, and had a sense of purpose.

Reference: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/bake-homemade-bread_ca_5ddbe1b1e4b00149f7209f33

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