If you’re concerned about the salt in your diet, you may be interested in bread without salt. There are many reasons why you want to limit your salt intake. While the majority of bread you find out there contains salt, it is possible to find or even make your own bread without salt.
The role of salt
Salt has a variety of important roles when it comes to baking bread.
- When you add salt to your bread recipe, it helps to bring out the flavour in the other ingredients
- Salt is also acts as a natural antioxidant
- Salt actually tightens the gluten in the dough, which adds strength
- Salt helps give your loaf airy volume by holding onto the carbon dioxide gas that forms during the fermentation process
- Salt slows down the fermentation process and enzyme activity in the dough
- Salt helps keep your bread moist, which prevents your bread from getting stale
Salt reduced diets
Salt or sodium is an essential nutrient in our diets, but it is possible to have too much sodium. For those with high blood pressure, too much salt can cause the body to hold onto excess fluid, putting a burden on the heart. Eating meals and food with less salt can help curb your rising blood pressure. Another benefit to reducing salt in your diet is that it helps lower the risk of other heart conditions, such as heart disease and stroke.
Baking without salt
It’s estimated that about 80 per cent of the salt we consume comes from processed food. Everything from canned soups to salad dressings can be loaded with more salt than you realize. By baking your own bread, you can control the amount of salt you eat.
Bread without salt recipe
Ingredients:
2 c. lukewarm water
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. sugar
2 pkgs. rapid rise yeast
5-6 c. flour
- Put water, oil and sugar in a large bowl. Add the yeast. Mix in a little flour and let it sit for a few minutes until bubbles appear. Slowly stir in flour until it becomes a thick batter, and then add more flour as the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- Roll the dough into a ball on a floured surface. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Uncover and knead, adding flour so the dough feels smooth and not sticky.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, and coat with oil. Cover bowl for 30 minutes. The dough should be double in size. Divide dough into two loaves.
- Place each loaf into oiled pans. Oil the tops and let the dough stand until it doubles in size. Place in 350 degrees oven and bake for an hour or until nicely browned on the top.
