With a characteristic texture and appearance, rye bread is an ideal option for breakfasts and snacks.
Easily distinguishable from the moment we step into a bakery and take a look at the different breads that we find on its shelves or shelves, rye bread stands out precisely for being one of the healthiest breads, which nevertheless collides with an obvious particularity Despite being the most suitable from a nutritional point of view, it is not as common as for example bread made with wheat flour.
However, for those who have already tried it, or simply know that nutritionally speaking it becomes a suitable and healthy option, they probably know how to discover it with some ease among the shelves of the aforementioned bakery, due to its striking and characteristic dark color.
But its appearance is not only its main characteristic. We also distinguish palpable differences both in its taste (a little bit more bitter than ordinary bread) and in its texture when breaking or chewing it (it has a simply delicious spongy texture).
In fact, despite the fact that in our country it tends not to be so popular or well-known (something that would not be surprising if we take into account that a sandwich of common bread with chocolate or greasy sausages prevails in the snack), did you know that bread rye is tremendously valued in the countries of northern Europe?
In them, this bread is consumed on a regular and daily basis, in the same way that occurs in a country as far away as Russia. What’s more, we can find two extremely popular varieties of rye bread: the pumpernickel and the knäckebröd.
It is likely that the pumpernickel variety does not sound so familiar to you because of its name, but because of its appearance, especially since we can easily find it in many supermarkets: it is a type of rye bread made with little ground rye in slow mixed cooking with steam, with a pasty appearance and a fairly characteristic brown color, which stands out for its slightly sweet taste.
On the other hand, if you regularly visit the popular Swedish furniture store Ikea, the other variety (knäckebröd bread) may also sound familiar to you: fine-looking rye bread with a hard or crunchy texture.
What is rye bread?
We are faced with a wonderful bread made with rye flour, a cereal scientifically known by the name of Secale cereale, whose grains are used in turn not only to make bread from its flour, but also to make some alcoholic beverages (not only beer, but also brandy and certain vodkas and whiskeys).
From a historical point of view there is evidence that, almost with total probability, the first time that rye was used as food was back in the late Paleolithic. In fact, in Abū Hurayra (in the Euphrates river valley, north of present-day Syria), remains have been found that would prove it.
It is a plant belonging to the wheat family, which tends to bloom between the months of May and July. Precisely the flour of this cereal is obviously used to make the wonderful rye bread.
Nutritional properties of rye bread
From a nutritional point of view, rye bread stands out for the following qualities:
- Rich in complex carbohydrates: 100 grams of rye bread provide around 48 grams of carbohydrates, which stand out precisely for being slow-release carbohydrates. These carbohydrates tend to be absorbed slowly, helping to maintain much more stable blood sugar levels.
- Low fat content: it is a wholemeal bread with low fat content, which means that it is an ideal nutritious option within a healthy diet (even in weight loss diets), since 100 grams provide only 3.3 grams of fat.
- Rich in Healthy Fatty Acids: Rye bread is not only delicious, but it also provides interesting amounts of healthy fatty acids, such as linoeic acid.
- Interesting contribution in fiber: being a bread made from whole grains, rye bread surprises with its high fiber content. Specifically, 100 grams of this bread provide almost 6 grams of fiber.
- High mineral content: rye bread stands out for its high content of minerals and trace elements, among which we distinguish calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and sodium.
- High content of vitamins: on the other hand, rye bread provides interesting amounts of vitamins, especially vitamins of group B, among which we find vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 and B9. In addition, it provides vitamin C, although in lesser quantity.
And what are the benefits of rye bread?
A good option in case of diabetes
Unlike what you probably think, ordinary bread made with wheat flour is not so healthy, especially if you suffer from diabetes, since it is an option that mainly provides simple carbohydrates (or fast absorption).
A very good possibility, especially if you are a bread lover and also have diabetes, is to substitute this common bread for rye bread, since not only will it provide you with a good amount of healthy fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, but it also stands out as we commented to you for its complex carbohydrate content.
That is to say, it is a natural and tremendously healthy option, which also gives you the energy you need little by little, without causing sudden and high spikes in blood sugar.
Helps improve intestinal transit
Rye bread stands out for being a type of bread made with rye flour, a whole grain with a high amount of fiber. Therefore, it becomes a good way to consume fiber every day, which will help us improve our intestinal transit, especially if we eat it regularly.
This is even more useful and remarkable in case of constipation, by helping us to regulate our transit. Also, did you know that it acts as a mild laxative?
It helps with blood circulation
Rye bread is a variety rich in linoleic acid, a healthy fatty acid that among other important benefits helps both strengthen and improve the flexibility of blood vessels.
For this reason, it becomes a good option to help us improve blood circulation, being nutritionally adequate in cases of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
Very useful if you have high cholesterol
Did you know that in case of high cholesterol and triglycerides, rye bread will help you lower your blood levels?
This quality is not only due to the contribution of healthy fatty acids such as linoleic acid, but also to its fiber content, helping to eliminate excess fats through the intestine.
How to make rye bread at home:
Rye bread recipe (basic recipe)
Ingredients:
- 350 g rye flour
- 150 g whole wheat flour
- 25 g of brewer’s yeast
- 1 tablespoon fennel grain
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Warm water
- Salt
Making rye bread:
- Heat a little water and dissolve the brewer’s yeast in it.
- On a wooden or marble surface, mix together both the rye flour and the wheat flour, the fennel grain and the salt. Add the warm water mixed with the brewer’s yeast.
- Knead vigorously until smooth. Add olive oil and then let the dough rest for an hour in a separate place.
- After this hour, knead again and place the dough in an ideal bread mold.
- Take to the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a glass mix a little oil with water and beat it a little. Halfway through cooking and with the help of a brush, spread the loaf of bread with this mixture of oil and water.
- Ready!
Whole Wheat Rye Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
- 500 g of whole rye flour
- 40 g fresh yeast
- 125 g of roasted seeds
- 500 g of water (at 60º C temperature)
- Olive oil
- Salt
Making whole wheat rye bread:
- On a wooden or marble surface where you can work the dough comfortably, mix the flour, seeds, warm water and salt.
- Add the yeast to the mixed dough.
- Put olive oil in the two molds and distribute the dough between them.
- Spread with a little soft flour, cover the molds and let the dough rise for 2 hours.
- Then take the molds to the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 250º C. Then lower the temperature to 220º C and finish baking another 20 minutes.
- Ready! To enjoy.
As we can see, making rye bread at home is even easier than you think. Do you dare to elaborate it? It’s delicious and also very, very, very nutritious.
