Bring the classic French boulangerie to your kitchen! This Rustic Multigrain Protein Bread Is all you need to get your carbs without the guilt!
For the love of bread! Ever since I started baking professionally, I’ve always dreamed of owning my own patisserie. Because of my love for desserts, this seemed like a reasonable dream, and it’s still a deep desire of mine. However, I also love bread, and until last year I didn’t even know what a boulangerie was! Even though I have been to a few because we have a lot of them here in Toronto.
For those of you who are curious, a boulangerie is a bakery that specializes in several varieties of baked bread, while a patisserie specializes in desserts. Both are right up my alley because I love bread and I love sweets. We all know the stigma that comes with bread especially when you’re trying to lose weight or even incorporate a healthier diet into your lifestyle. Bread =carbs, carbs=weight gain.
No guys, you do not need to torture yourself if you love bread as much as I do. Carbs can be good for you and can also help you with your weight loss goals, as long as you are consuming the right type of carbs, such as complex carbs. Our bodies actually benefit from the right carbohydrates because they are high in fiber, and fiber cleans out your colon, flushes out fat and aids in digestion, which are all essential for weight loss. When it comes to choosing healthier breads, here are a few things to look out for:
- Make sure it says 100% multigrain, not whole wheat. Some breads that contain “multigrain” usually have trace amounts of white flour in them, and with whole wheat breads, you’re not getting enough fiber or protein.
- Read the ingredients carefully before buying. If you see an ingredient that you don’t understand, like “propionate” do your research so you have a solid idea on what you’re purchasing.
- Be cautious when selecting gluten free breads. A lot of gluten free breads are made with refined white rice flour, and even if some contain brown rice flour or whole grains, they usually contain high amounts of sugar like brown rice syrup. the absence of gluten makes the bread quite bland, so sugar and other additives are sometimes added to enhance the flavor.
- Fresh is best, but organic also works. You don’t have to buy organic breads if you don’t want to, but some brands that produce organic breads usually use the best quality ingredients. Sometimes they are also allergy friendly for those with food intolerances. One of my favorite brands is Silver Hills Bakery. You can also purchase your bread from a trusted bakery, or you can make your own bread! It’s not as time consuming as you will see in the ingredients below, and it can also be fun. Plus, if you have a bread maker, you can let it do all the work!
- 3 cups whole spelt flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup whole flax seeds
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons quinoa
- 1 ½ cups room temperature water
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, and yeast together until mixed. Stir in water until a thick dough forms. Finally, stir in flax seeds, hemp seeds, oats and quinoa. Your dough will be sticky and that’s fine. Cover the mixing bowl with a cloth or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
- After the bread has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 450°F and line a cast iron or ceramic pot with parchment paper. Gently scrape the dough from the bowl into the pot. Sprinkle some flour on the dough. Cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes. When ready, remove from the oven and let it cool. Slice and enjoy!
why only a 1/4 T of hemp seeds? can you use a full T?
hopefully that is ok as I did 1 full T of hempseeds and my dough is currently proofing!!!!!!
Hi Monika! That was actually meant to be 1/4 cup, so i’ll have to correct that. That equals 4 T, so you’re still fine!