Flax meal Whole Wheat Bread

Flax meal bread is one of the most nutritious breads. It has all the goodness of flaxseeds and whole wheat. Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega -3 fats. They are also a very good source of soluble fiber. Three tablespoons of flax seeds provide about thirty percent of recommended fiber intake. Flax seeds contain vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc and copper. Flax seeds also contain lignans. Lignans are a type of fiber- a phytoestrogen. Lignans are known to be anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal. Lignans are believed to have anti cancer properties and are beneficial for the heart. (Read my post FLAX SEEDS under the label Garden herbs and Medicinal Plants)

Flax meal bread has whole wheat flour. The bread has  dense and heavy crumb. It has sweetness of honey. Enjoy with steamed vegetables, with honey or home made jam.

Ingredients

1 cup Flax meal.

1 ½ cup whole wheat flour (atta)

½ cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil (or any vegetable oil)

3 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cup warm water.
1 tablespoon flax seeds. 

Method

To prepare flax meal, clean the flaxseeds available in the market.

 Grind them to a fine powder.

 Measure one cup. Sieve together whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and salt.
Add flax meal, yeast, oil and honey and mix well. Now add warm water. Knead well adding water gradually. The dough is a little sticky because of honey. Knead for about 6 to 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Grease a loaf tin. Shape the dough into a loaf and place it in the loaf tin. Keep it in a warm place for about an hour or till it becomes double the original size.
Dab water on the loaf and sprinkle flax seeds. Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees C for 20 to 25 minutes. The top should turn golden brown and the bottom of the tin should sound hollow when tapped.
 Remove from the oven and remove from the loaf tin after five minutes.

Cool on the wire rack and slice only when completely cold.

If you are not using instant yeast, then add a teaspoon of sugar to one cup of warm water when sugar dissolves; add 2 teaspoons of active yeast and cover. In about fifteen minutes, the mixture will turn frothy. Use this to knead the dough. When using this method, reduce the quantity of honey to 2 tablespoons.