The Health Benefits of Homemade Bread

Sheila Vitale is the founder, manager, and pastor of Living Epistles Ministries in Port Jefferson Station, New York. Although she no longer cooks, Sheila Vitale used to bake homemade bread.

While the enticing aroma of a warm loaf of homemade bread might be enough to encourage many people to perform the labor necessary to achieve such a result, an increasing number of individuals are also motivated to make homemade bread out of concern for their health.

For starters, the home baker can choose all of the best ingredients, including the finest flours, leavening agents, and dairy products. Baking allows for limiting the quantity of sugar in the bread, and there is no fear of high fructose corn syrup derived from GMOs. Home bakers can substitute cardio healthy fats such as olive or safflower oil for harmful trans fats, and there is no need to add preservatives designed to extend shelf life in store-bought loaves.

A lot of commercial bread is high in salt, so baking at home allows one to reduce the sodium in his or her diet. Those with food allergies won’t have to scour the small print on ingredients’ lists to avoid contamination by unwanted allergens.