Low GI (glycemic index) Bread is bread made with ingredients that do not spike your blood sugar levels, but instead slowly and more gradually raise them so that you don’t spike and crash.
Growing up in South Africa, we had access to low GI bread at just about any supermarket. The dense loaf was high in fibre and filled with seeds and it kept you full for hours.
I love to bake bread, even sourdough, which in my opinion is the Prima Donna of baked breads. Worth it – yes, but also a gigantic time investment. However, I have been on a low or slightly lower carb (depending on the week) diet for a few months now, and I miss good bread. Not the slices filled with wind, but something deliciously dense that actually feels like food, not filler.
Enter Gemini. I casually asked it for a low GI recipe and yesterday I set out to bake it. First impressions:
- This recipe was definitely designed for a 9×5 loaf pan, which may have made a slightly more impressive loaf. I received a Pullman Loaf Pan for Christmas and I was determined to give it a whirl. In hindsight, I should have redirected Gemini to reconfigure the recipe for those dimensions.
- I could only find roasted and salted pepitas instead of pumpkin seeds au natural, so Gemini adjusted the salt in our orginal recipe to compensate for the salt in these seeds.
- I love that I can take photos of what I am doing and ask questions. The batter, once the wet and dry ingredients were properly mixed, looked like porridge, not bread. I was able to attach this picture to my chat and ask if I was on the right track – and I was. Gemini informed me that this batter was perfect, because there is half a cup of bran in this recipe, which would eventually suck up much of the moisture and the rest would become steam during baking, so we don’t end up with a brick of bread. Just look at all those seeds in there!
3. I have a Brød & Taylor proofing box, which I took a photo of and asked for the optimal temperature. Gemini said, “That Brød & Taylor proofer is a fantastic tool to have for this! Because this batter is so heavy with bran and seeds, it needs a nice, warm environment to help the yeast lift all of that weight. The ideal temperature for this specific loaf is 82°F to 85°F.” Problem solved without endless Googling.
4. I was able to send progress updates to Gemini over the proofing period. Gemini was terrified that my bread would rise so high it would stick to the lid of the Pullman Loaf Pan. Wishful thinking. The bread came nowhere near the top. See point no. 1.
The result was dreamy. It was soft, dense, not dry, seed-filled, and delicious. My husband felt it needed a bit more gluten and chewiness, so we are going to adapt the recipe slightly and try this again. Here is the recipe that led to this delight and which I would recommend simply baking in the 9×5 pan and decorating with seeds on top.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
- 1 cup mixed seeds (equal parts raw sunflower, raw sesame, raw flaxseed, and your roasted/salted pepitas)
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp molasses, honey, or brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
Instructions:
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, oats, bran, the 1 cup of mixed seeds (including the roasted/salted pepitas), instant yeast, and the reduced salt.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate measuring jug or bowl, dissolve the molasses (or honey/brown sugar) into the 2 1/2 cups of warm water, then stir in the oil.
Combine the Batter
Pour the wet mixture into your dry ingredients. Stir well until everything is fully incorporated. The mixture will look like a very thick, wet, sticky batter rather than a traditional elastic bread dough.
Rise the Loaf
Pour the batter into a well-greased, parchment-lined 9×5 inch loaf pan. Smooth the top with a wet spatula. Press a few extra raw seeds onto the surface for a bakery-style finish — make sure to leave the roasted pepitas out of the topping so they don’t burn! Cover the pan loosely with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the batter reaches the top of the pan.
Bake and Cool (Do not slice while hot)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the loaf for 60 minutes. Once baked, immediately remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to ensure the crumb sets properly.
For my next round, I plan on substituting 1 cup of the wholewheat flour for King Arthur’s Artisan Bread Flour. Stay tuned!
Cookery by Crookery 