For those watching their sodium intake, bread can be a sneaky source of hidden salt. Many store-bought breads contain surprisingly high levels of sodium, making it a challenge to maintain a low-sodium diet. A single slice of white sandwich bread can contain as much as 300 mg of sodium. The solution? Baking your own bread at home. It's easier than you think, and you can control exactly what goes into it.
Why Bake Bread at Home?
Most bread has only four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. Salt is linked to high blood pressure as well as to kidney and heart disease. Most Americans need to limit the amount of sodium they eat to 1,500 milligrams a day. Store-bought bread often has between 170-250 milligrams of salt per slice.
Baking bread at home offers numerous benefits, especially for those on a low-sodium diet. By making your own bread, you eliminate the excessive amounts of salt found in commercial loaves. This allows you to enjoy a simple pleasure while looking after your blood pressure, waistline, and heart.
Understanding Salt's Role in Bread Making
Salt plays a crucial role in traditional bread making. It controls the yeast activity, strengthens the gluten, and enhances the flavor. However, it is possible to make delicious bread with little to no salt by adjusting the other ingredients and techniques.
No-Salt Bread Recipe
This recipe produces a light and airy loaf with no sodium because there’s no milk or eggs. A little honey and olive oil give it a delicious mild flavor that you can use for a savory sandwich or something sweeter, like French toast.
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Ingredients:
- 450 g (3 and 3/4 cups) bread or all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 283 g (1 and 1/4 cups) water, room temperature
Instructions:
- Mix and Rest: In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Knead: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface, lightly oil your hands, and knead until smooth, about 10-12 minutes. Alternatively, use a stand mixer or bread machine. If kneading by hand, give it at least 10 minutes. The dough may be a little sticky, but don't add any flour, or you'll end up with a dense and dry loaf. Instead, keep the dough moving quickly as you knead, and use a plastic dough scraper or spatula to scrape off any dough that's stuck to your hand.
- First Rise: Clean out your bowl, drizzle a little bit of oil in it, and then return the kneaded dough to the bowl. Roll the dough around in the bowl a few times so it's coated in oil, and then let it rest seam side down. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for about an hour until it has doubled in size. The time may vary depending on the room temperature.
- Shape: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled surface, deflate it, and shape it into a 9-inch log. Place the shaped dough into an oiled 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- Second Rise: Cover the loaf pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow it to rise again until the dough is just about an inch above the edge of the pan. This can take anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on how warm it is. At this point you can add seeds by sprinkling the seeds onto your work surface and then rolling the log through the seeds. Then place the seeded log into the pan.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown. If your oven heats unevenly, you may want to rotate the pan halfway through the bake time.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
Tips for Success
- Accurate Measurements: Use a scale to measure the ingredients whenever possible, especially flour.
- Kneading: If the dough is too sticky to knead, try oiling your hands and surface area first. If that's not enough, add just a little flour (try half a tablespoon) at a time to make the dough more workable. The dough is properly kneaded if it springs back after you poke it, and it doesn't tear when you pull on it.
- Overnight Rise: To do this, after the dough has completed its first rise, gently deflate it and put it back in the bowl, covered, and refrigerate overnight. It will continue to rise a bit in the refrigerator, but at a much slower rate. In the morning, let the dough sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes and then proceed.
Experimenting with Flavors
Once you're comfortable with the basic no-salt bread recipe, feel free to experiment with different flavors and ingredients. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Herbs: Add fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano to the dough for a savory twist.
- Seeds: Incorporate seeds like sesame, poppy, or sunflower seeds for added texture and flavor.
- Spices: A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom can add warmth and complexity to the bread.
- Fruits: Add chopped dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, or apricots for a touch of sweetness.
No-Salt Focaccia Bread Recipe
This one works because the bread machine handles the mixing, kneading, and proofing, while the loaf gets its final shape and bakes in the oven for the best crust and texture.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (241 g) water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, dried
- 3 cups (360 g) bread flour
- 1¼ teaspoons instant or bread machine yeast
Instructions:
- Dough Cycle: Add ingredients to bread pan. Select the DOUGH cycle, then START.
- First Check (After 1 Minute): Open the lid as the machine kneads. Ensure paddles are engaged. Dough should clump together. If it looks too wet (like cake batter), add flour 1 tbsp at a time. If too dry, add water 1 tbsp at a time.
- Second Check (After 15 Minutes): Dough should stick to the pan’s edge, then pull away cleanly. If dough bounces off the sides, add 1 tbsp water. If it sticks too much, add 1 tbsp flour.
- After the DOUGH Cycle: Remove dough to a floured surface, knead lightly to remove bubbles, and shape into a ball. Cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Shaping and Baking the Focaccia: Press dough into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking sheet or dish. Stretch each ball into a thin circle.
- Stand Mixer: Add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Mix on low, then knead with the dough hook on medium speed (2-3) for 5-10 minutes until smooth.
- By Hand: Combine ingredients in a bowl until shaggy. Knead on a floured surface for 10-20 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Considerations for Different Types of Flour
While this recipe calls for bread or all-purpose flour, you can experiment with other types of flour as well. However, keep in mind that different flours have different gluten contents and absorption rates, which may affect the final texture of the bread.
- Whole Wheat Flour: Substituting some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour will add more fiber and nutrients to your bread. However, whole wheat flour can make the bread denser, so it's best to start with a small substitution (e.g., half whole wheat, half all-purpose) and adjust as needed.
- Rye Flour: Rye flour has a distinct flavor and can be used in combination with other flours to create a unique bread.
- Gluten-Free Flour: For those with gluten sensitivities, gluten-free flour blends can be used to make no-salt bread. However, gluten-free bread often requires additional ingredients like xanthan gum to provide structure and binding.
Adapting Recipes for Bread Machines
If you prefer using a bread machine, you can adapt this no-salt bread recipe for your machine. Simply follow the manufacturer's instructions for adding ingredients and selecting the appropriate cycle. However, keep in mind that without salt to control the rise, the dough may overproof and collapse during baking.
Serving Suggestions
No-salt bread is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Here are a few serving suggestions:
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- Sandwiches: Use it for your favorite sandwich fillings, such as peanut butter and jelly, deli meats, or grilled vegetables.
- Toast: Toast it and top with avocado, eggs, or your favorite spread.
- French Toast: Make delicious French toast with a hint of honey and cinnamon.
- Garlic Bread: Brush it with olive oil and garlic for a flavorful side dish.
- Croutons: Cube it and bake it with herbs and spices to make homemade croutons for salads or soups.