Amaranth bread. Recipes made from amaranth flour Bread made from amaranth flour, ancient Russian recipe

In this article we will understand what it is amaranth flour and amaranth bread. Let's start by looking at the amaranth plant. If you are interested in the recipe for amaranth bread, then here it is.

Nutritional benefits of amaranth

Currently, the Internet is filled with publications containing rave reviews about the magical nutritional and health benefits of amaranth. Our website receives more and more requests regarding the use of amaranth flour in practical baking. We take the risk of presenting to the readers our opinion on this issue.

Several dozen species of amaranth are known, but not all are of practical importance. The wild species of amaranth growing in our fields are malicious weeds, the seeds of which retain the ability to germinate for several years. Even with the help of herbicides, lime is very difficult to control this extremely prolific weed.

If you grow amaranth as a forage crop Without bringing the seeds to the stage of ripening, perhaps everything will work out, although the planted seeds will sprout for several years. What if you grow amaranth for seeds, and even under crop rotation conditions? In a few years, all fields may be covered with dashing scarlet plumes of indestructible amaranth. Chemists will be happy! The demand for herbicides will increase many times over.

Articles about amaranth posted on commercial websites to attract public attention are full of gross errors and outright absurdity. Errors migrate from one site to another. Information about amaranth is growing with more and more fables and inventions. The main purpose of such publications is to attract attention and sell amaranth products (seeds, flour, oil, etc.) as expensive as possible or simply lure readers to your website.

I don’t argue, the amaranth plant is very interesting. However, so far it has not become as widespread as other guests from America (corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, etc.). According to the authors of most publications devoted to amaranth, the Spanish conquistadors are to blame for this. The evil Spanish conquerors exported from America everything that could be of at least some practical interest, but they developed a strange hatred for amaranth. Apparently, all the conquistadors got together and agreed to declare a strict ban on the cultivation of amaranth, and not to tell anyone in Europe about this healing plant. Harming the bloodthirsty Indians was much more important to them than making real money on the seeds of a miracle culture! Surprisingly, the healthy and strong tribes of American Indians, eating healthy amaranth, quickly disappeared under the pressure of a bunch of conquistadors who had never tried amaranth.

By the way, amaranth is very resistant to pests. They write that he has almost no enemies. Why? In connection with what, insects do not want to eat magnificent amaranth?

Let's not laugh at the numerous opuses of our would-be marketers; after all, they tried, they invented... Let's move on to specific information.

Pay attention to the data on the chemical composition of amaranth seeds, in comparison with similar data for wheat, rye and buckwheat seeds (Table 1). To enable an objective comparison of indicators, all data are recalculated to the same seed moisture content – ​​14%.

Table 1. Chemical composition of amaranth

The chemical composition of amaranth seeds has many similarities with the chemical composition of buckwheat seeds, however, the content of protein substances in amaranth is 6-7% higher. Accordingly, the content of essential amino acids is higher in amaranth seeds.

Absorption of amaranth proteins the antinutrients it contains, such as trypsin inhibitor, tannins, and phytic acid, interfere. Judging by the phosphorus content (significantly higher than in the seeds of wheat, buckwheat, and rye), there should be plenty of phytic acid in amaranth seeds. However, calcium and phosphorus are contained in amaranth seeds in a more favorable ratio than in the seeds of other crops (shown in the table), which is a favorable indicator from the point of view of a healthy diet.

Almost every article devoted to the amaranth plant mentions a miraculous substance called squalene. Squalene belongs to the group of carotenoids and is found in many foods. Well, squalene and squalene, and in carrots there is carotene. Show me at least one aging movie star who has been made younger by squalene. Stars noticeably look younger from plastic surgery, not from squalene.

In many popular articles, amaranth seeds are called an excellent source of vitamin C. I think that this is not entirely true, since amaranth seeds contain only 4 mg of vitamin C, while regular potatoes contain 20 mg, and black currants contain 200 mg (per 100 g). product). During technological processing of amaranth seeds, vitamin C is almost completely destroyed.

Amaranth is rich in calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. However, information on the bioavailability of these elements is still clearly insufficient.

Use of amaranth as a fodder crop, it gives excellent results. Amaranth is considered the cheapest high-protein food. Due to the balanced amino acid composition, the green mass of amaranth is excellent for fattening pigs, and the seeds are for fattening broilers. Judging by reports, the productivity of farm animals increases dramatically when amaranth is used for food. The weight gain of the corresponding animals increases almost 2 times.

There is evidence that several dozen different popular products with amaranth additives are produced in the United States. The impressive weight gain of the citizens of this country is very convincing.

Amaranth is called a medicinal plant. On the one hand, this is wonderful, but on the other, it raises some questions. Agree that food and medicinal plants have certain differences. The use of medications is always strictly dosed. Violation of the dosage leads to negative health consequences. Maybe the ancient peoples of America knew about this, so they preferred to worship amaranth rather than cook everyday stew from it?

The use of amaranth flour in baking

Bread is the most important and largest product produced in most countries of the world. Imagine how many different additives can be sold on this market! What they don’t add to regular bread! Why not add amaranth too? Research shows that replacing 8-10% of rye flour with amaranth flour allows you to get a new, quite tasty variety of baking products - amaranth bread. Amaranth bread has good organoleptic characteristics and a more balanced amino acid composition than regular bread.

Amaranth flour itself is not suitable for making bread., it does not contain gluten, but as a prescription supplement, the use of this ingredient is quite justified.

To enrich bread, partially defatted amaranth flour or rolled amaranth grains (amaranth flakes) are usually used. Whole grain amaranth flour contains too much fat, which significantly reduces its storage ability (fat quickly goes rancid).

Usually amaranth flour is produced from amaranth meal, i.e. from seed pomace from which amaranth oil has been removed to varying degrees. The oil is removed by pressing, extraction, or a combination of both.

Amaranth flakes are produced by flattening fermented amaranth seeds. To treat amaranth seeds, special enzyme preparations containing α-amylase are used.

Addition of amaranth flour leads to a noticeable change in the properties of gluten. Under the influence of amaranth, wheat gluten becomes weaker - the ID increases, the elasticity decreases. The dough becomes more flexible. For flour containing excessively strong gluten, this is very good, but for flour with weak gluten it is not advisable.

Under the influence of amaranth products, the sugar-forming and gas-forming ability of flour increases. The fermentation activity of yeast increases noticeably. The rate of acid accumulation increases, due to which the ripening time of the semi-finished product is reduced.

Amaranth flour can also exhibit an emulsifying effect, which also helps to improve the rheological properties of the dough and improve the quality of finished products.

Bread with the addition of amaranth products is characterized by a more pronounced aroma, fairly good porosity and elasticity of the crumb.

If it is not strong enough, the addition of amaranth flour can cause a decrease in dimensional stability and a decrease in the porosity of bread. To prevent undesirable consequences, dry wheat gluten is included in the bread recipe together with amaranth flour.

Currently, amaranth flour has found application in some baking improvers.

Here is the chemical composition of 100% amaranth flour of the 1st grade(manufacturer RUSSIAN OLIVE LLC):

Nutritional value per 100g: proteins 9.5 g, carbohydrates 67.8 g, fats 3.9 g.

Energy value per 100g: 344 kcal.

Let's compare the chemical composition of amaranth flour with the chemical composition of 1st grade wheat flour:

Nutritional value per 100g: proteins 11.1 g, carbohydrates 67.8 g, fats 1.5 g.

Energy value per 100g: 329 kcal

As they say, find 5 differences...

Based on the given compositions, we can conclude that the inclusion of amaranth flour in wheat bread will not lead to an increase in the total protein content, but the balance of amino acids will improve slightly. That's all for now. Leave comments on the article and ask questions.

Many people consider amaranth to be a malicious weed, which in a matter of years can clog all fields with industrially profitable crops. This is true when it comes specifically to the type of amaranth that grows in our area. However, there are also useful varieties of this plant, which are often included in the diet due to the high content of amino acids and fats in the culture. Due to this, amaranth bread has gained particular popularity.

Since amaranth itself does not contain gluten, and therefore is not suitable for the dough base in its pure form, it is mixed with a wheat flour base.

Amaranth bread - homemade recipe

We'll start with a simple wheat bread recipe that combines all the outstanding qualities of this plant.

Ingredients:

• wheat flour – 430 g;
• amaranth flour – 45 g;
• yeast – 5 g;
• butter – 15 g;
• milk – 290 ml;
• a pinch of salt and sugar.

Preparation

1. Activating yeast is the first step towards delicious baked goods. To do this, the yeast is dissolved in warm, slightly sweetened milk and left until foaming.
2. While the yeast is working, mix both types of flour with a pinch of salt.
3. Pour the yeast solution and melted butter into the dry mixture, and then begin kneading the bread using your preferred technology. You should work on the dough for at least 10 minutes, so we have time to develop the gluten threads well and the bread will turn out airy.
4. Next, the dough needs to rise twice in a warm place, and after the first rise, the dough is kneaded and shaped into a loaf.
5. The risen dough is baked at 220 degrees, placing a bowl of warm water on the bottom of the oven. After 10 minutes, the bowl is removed, and the bread is baked at 180 degrees for another 40 minutes.

Bread made from amaranth flour in a bread machine - recipe

This bread is prepared using a mixture of amaranth and wheat flour with the addition of a yogurt base, which makes the crumb even more tender and slightly viscous.

Amaranth flour (gluten-free)- a very interesting and, without a doubt, healthy flour with a wide range of uses in cooking.

Amaranth seeds have good flour-grinding qualities and have a nut-like taste. Amaranth flour has high biological value and serves as a rich source of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins C and PP.

Amaranth flour is used in the preparation of porridges, flatbreads, bakery, confectionery and pasta products, cheeses and yoghurts, and mayonnaise.

Amaranth seeds and flour can also be used as an additive to regular diet dishes, they are used in canning vegetables, and are also used as a nutritious vitamin and protein supplement to various vegetarian and dietary dishes.

They also find wide culinary use and amaranth leaves– they are added to salads, casseroles and omelettes.

• coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis,
• diabetes and obesity,
• cancer and weakened immunity.

Amaranth flour and products made from it have a preventive effect on many body systems:

• lower cholesterol levels,
• improves the condition of the arteries,
• reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer,
• promote the removal of toxins.

The special value of amaranth lies in the presence in its composition of such a substance as squalene , which has a strong antioxidant effect.

Central and South America are considered the homeland of amaranth. Other names for this plant are “God sent”, “Aztec wheat” and “Inca bread”.

Among the ancient Greeks, amaranth was considered a symbol of immortality (translated from Greek amaranth means "unfading flower"), and in ancient Chinese medicine this plant was used as a remedy that gives youth and longevity.

In our country, amaranth has long been known as a garden weed - shiritsy. But in recent decades, the special cultivation of decorative, food and fodder varieties of amaranth has become quite widespread in Russia.

Amaranth contains a higher amount of protein - approximately 16-18% (wheat contains “only” 12%). The proteins in amaranth most closely match the theoretically calculated “ideal” protein.

For comparison: evaluation coefficients for the “ideal” protein:

• amaranth - 75,
• cow's milk - 72,
• soybean - 68,
• wheat - 60,
• peanuts - 32.

The composition of amaranth amino acids is ideally balanced; it contains large quantities of amino acids (essential) that are not synthesized by the human body. Products with a high content of essential amino acids have always been the dream of mankind. The content of the most important essential amino acid, lysine, is 30 (!) times higher than in wheat. This amino acid is not present in such quantities in any other plant studied. What is lysine? This is a substance thanks to which food is absorbed by the human body, and if it is deficient, it is simply not absorbed and the protein passes through “transit”.

Use of amaranth flour in cooking

Amaranth flour, which has excellent baking qualities, can be successfully used in combination with wheat flour in the preparation of all kinds of bakery and confectionery products, imparting viscosity and stickiness to the dough.

Homemade baked goods made from wheat flour with the addition of amaranth flour turn out fluffy, have a pleasant delicate nutty taste and increased protein value, and also do not go stale for a long time.

Amaranth flour, in addition, is useful to add as a vitamin and protein supplement to various dietary and vegetarian dishes, and also to use to increase the taste and nutritional value of regular diet dishes (porridge, soups, pancakes, pancakes, mashed potatoes, stewed vegetables, meat and fish dishes, cereal side dishes, pasta, etc.).

Amaranth flour can also be used in breading and as a minced ingredient for cutlets.

Amaranth flour, which has high nutritional value, can be used as an enriching protein and vitamin component of baby food.

And due to the fact that Amaranth flour contains no gluten(unlike wheat flour), this healthy plant product can also be used in the diet of people with celiac disease (gluten enteropathy).

You can buy amaranth flour in stores, health food/diet food departments, and online stores.

Banana Amaranth Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups wheat flour,

• 1/2 cup amaranth flour,

• 1 teaspoon of soda,

• 2 beaten eggs,

• 1/2 cup melted butter,

• 1/2 cup honey,

• 1 teaspoon vanillin,

• 1 cup ripe banana puree,

• 1 cup nuts.

Cooking method:

Combine amaranth and wheat flour, add soda, mix.

Add honey and butter to beaten eggs. Beat again.

Combine with flour, add vanillin and banana puree. Mix everything thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. After this, add nuts to the mixture.

Bake in a mold or in a frying pan for 1 hour at 175°C.

To feel healthy, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle. Proper nutrition plays an important role in this. The diet of modern people often lacks sufficient quantities of important components that they get from food.

Amaranth, like most healthy foods, was forgotten for a long time, although its valuable properties were known more than 7,000 years ago. From this plant you can get seeds, flour, oil, and green leaves of acorn are used for food. By adding amaranth flour when baking bread, you can get a tasty and nutritious product that can saturate the body and enrich it with important components.

Ingredients and basic recipe for the oven

Comparing the beneficial properties of amaranth flour with flour from wheat, rye or buckwheat, you can see that the nutrient content in this product is much higher. Amaranth grains are small in shape, more like poppy seeds. After grinding the grains, flour or meal is obtained, which is used in cooking. Pancakes are made from flour, it is added to cookies, and amaranth bread is baked. The product contains a large number of important ingredients necessary for the body, it contains important micro- and macroelements, B vitamins, as well as A, E, P, carotenoids, pectin.

This is a gluten-free product, which is very important., because many people have gluten intolerance. Bread made from ground amaranth seeds was a staple in the diet of South American Indians for a long time. This product was added during cooking in Rus', but then this valuable plant was forgotten for a while, but in vain. Nowadays, people have begun to pay more attention to their health, so they are trying to include as many healthy foods as possible in their diet.

Since amaranth flour does not contain gluten, that is, gluten, it will not be possible to bake bread using only this product alone. It must be mixed with wheat or other flour in a ratio of 1 to 4, where the main part is wheat flour.

To bake bread from ground amaranth seeds at home, you need to take:

• wheat flour – 400 g;
• shiritsa meal – about 100 g;
• yeast - 1 tbsp. l;
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l;
• a pinch of salt;
• milk – 300-320 ml;
• sunflower oil – 1 tbsp. spoon.

Using this recipe, you can prepare baked goods using the sponge method. You need to pour amaranth flour into a container, then add yeast and warm milk to it. The products must be mixed well and placed in a warm place until the dough rises. After half an hour, add salt, sugar and vegetable oil to the prepared mixture. All that remains is to add wheat flour and knead the elastic dough. After kneading, leave it in a warm place for 1-2 hours. Turn on the oven at 220 degrees and place a baking sheet in it.

It is immediately recommended to place a bowl of hot water in the lower part of the oven for ten minutes. Then you need to remove the boiling water, reduce the temperature in the oven to approximately 180 degrees and bake the loaf for another 40 minutes. After this, take out the baking sheet and check the readiness of the dish. If you hear a dull sound when you tap the loaf, it means it is baked.

You should wait a little until the bread cools down and then serve it to the table. When cut, the loaf has a grayish color, as amaranth flour was used in the composition.

You can bake a loaf not only in the oven; a bread maker or slow cooker is perfect for this.

Required ingredients:

• rye flour – 300 g;
• wheat flour – 180 g;
• amaranth – 50 g;
• flaxseed – 20 g;
• dry yeast - 2 tbsp. l;
• honey or sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• 40 g rye malt;
• water – about 400 ml;
• coriander grains, flax seeds - a handful each.

The cooking method is as follows:

• you need to take rye malt and pour boiling water (80 ml) over it, then cool;
• different types of flour should be mixed;
• crush coriander seeds in a mortar;
• Following the instructions of the bread machine, put all the ingredients into it.

You should bake in the “Rye bread” mode. After 3 hours 30 minutes the bread can be taken out. In the absence of flaxseed flour, it can be replaced with grade 1 wheat.

How to make it in a bread machine?

The method for making bread without yeast is as follows.

• You should prepare the starter immediately. For it you need to mix rice and amaranth flour. Take a little of this mixture and add sugar, lemon juice, and soda. The mixture must be mixed and left in a warm place to ferment. It is best to leave the dough overnight.
• In the morning, add a little water (about 50 ml) to the mass, mix, cover with a clean cloth and leave for 3 days.
• After 3 days, combine the remaining products and knead the dough, which is then placed on a baking sheet for 4-6 hours. After this, the top of the loaf is brushed with egg white and sprinkled with seeds.
• The baking sheet is placed in a hot oven and the loaf is baked at a temperature of about 180 degrees for an hour.

After this, take out the baking sheet and allow the bread to cool. The taste of this dish is very pleasant, with nutty notes.

How to cook with sourdough?

You can prepare a dish using yeast, or bake it without yeast using sourdough.

To prepare the starter, you need to use:

• brown rice flour – 150 g;
• amaranth flour – 50 g;
• 1 tsp. lemon juice;
• 1 tsp. Sahara;
• soda.

To knead bread, you should take:

• 200 grams of sourdough;
• 150 g rice, 100 g corn and 150 g amaranth flour;
• 1 tbsp. l. oatmeal;
• 1 spoon of flax seeds;
• 200 ml soda;
• 150 ml boiling water;
• 1 tsp. salt;
• 1 tbsp. l. honey;
• white of one egg;
• sunflower seeds or sesame seeds as desired.

You can try making grain bread using the following recipe.

You need to take:

• wheat flour - 1 cup;
• wholemeal flour – 150 g;
• amaranth seeds – 40 grams;
• white of one egg;
• baking soda;
• margarine – 20 g;
• low-fat cream – 200 ml.

To make the dough, mix the dry ingredients. Beat the egg whites separately, add melted margarine and cream. All ingredients should be mixed and kneaded into a dough. The mixture is placed on a baking sheet and baked in the oven for half an hour.

Unusual cooking options

While traditional bread baking options are used quite often, unusual ones are rarely used. Although in this case the bread has a more savory taste.

With cottage cheese

Many people have long been bored with their usual foods and want to cook something tasty, healthy and unusual. One such option is bread, which contains amaranth meal and cottage cheese. Before you start preparing the dough, you need to prepare all the components.

Ingredients:

• 5 chicken eggs;
• 300 g of amaranth grains, they can be ground in a coffee grinder or used ready-made flour to prepare the dough;
• 500 g low-fat cottage cheese;
• 1 tsp. baking powder;
• 2 tsp. salt.

The method for preparing this dish is as follows.

• You need to beat the eggs and salt until you get a fluffy mass.
• Add baking powder to it and mix. After this, cottage cheese is poured into the mass and kneaded thoroughly until the lumps disappear.
• Flour is added to the mixture.

The finished dough is placed in a mold or on a baking sheet and baked at 190 degrees for about an hour.

With oatmeal

It's worth making baked goods with oatmeal. True, bread baked according to this recipe may not be suitable for all dishes; it is better used for making sandwiches.

Before preparing this dish, you need to prepare the following products:

• 1 cup ground amaranth;
• 1 cup oatmeal;
• 600 g wheat flour;
• 1-2 tsp. salt;
• 50 g sugar;
• yeast;
• 500 ml boiling water.

First of all, you need to take sugar and pour it into a container of boiling water, then stir until it dissolves. In a separate bowl, mix oatmeal with ground amaranth. Then you should mix water with this mass and wait until it cools completely. Separately, dissolve the yeast and add it to the cooled mixture, mix the mass well. Then add wheat flour and knead the dough.

Grease a baking tray with vegetable oil. Divide the dough into two equal parts and place them on a baking sheet. You should wait until the loaves have doubled in volume, knead them and let the dough rise. Bake the bread for 50-60 minutes, while the oven is heated to 200 degrees.

amaranth flour – 100 g;

chicken egg – 2 pcs.;

vegetable oil – 50 ml;

honey – 50 ml;

1-2 bananas;

nuts – 1 cup;

baking soda.

First of all, you need to take bananas and mash them. To do this, you can use a regular fork if the bananas are very ripe, or grind them using a blender. Mix two types of flour and add baking soda. Separately, beat the eggs in a container, then add the butter and honey to them. Beat everything well. After this, banana puree and flour are added to the mixture. The dough needs to be kneaded well. At the very end, nuts are added to it. Bread is baked at a temperature of about 180 degrees.

When baking bread that contains some amaranth flour, the product turns out to be more porous, with an elastic crumb. The nutty smell of freshly baked bread is especially pleasant. It should be noted that such baked goods may not go stale for a long time. When using meal, that is, ground grains, due to the large amount of oil in the product, it may begin to taste bitter during long-term storage.

When using amaranth flour for baking, preparing porridge from the seeds, or using the oil as a preventive and therapeutic agent, it is important not to overdo it. Some people may be intolerant to this product.

Amaranth should be limited to people with serious kidney disease and pancreas problems. In other cases, consuming amaranth in any form will bring enormous benefits to the body.

To learn how to make amaranth bread at home, watch the following video.

Amaranth is the oldest annual plant, whose homeland is considered to be South America. If the ancient Incas and Aztecs grew it as a grain crop along with corn and beans, then in our country amaranth was considered a weed for a long time.

Amaranth grows wild throughout almost the entire territory of Russia. Our gardeners grow amaranth exclusively for decorative purposes. It is amazing that few people know about the benefits of this plant. Among the ancient Greeks and China, amaranth was considered a plant that bestows longevity. Truly magical properties were attributed to him. And if you look at it, then it is so. Amaranth is simply a storehouse of vitamins and minerals.

The leaves, stems and roots of amaranth are eaten. Not to mention the seeds. Amaranth oil is widely used in cosmetology.

Nutritionists strongly recommend using amaranth flour and amaranth seed grains as a dietary supplement. Recently, amaranth flour has been used in the production of pasta and bakery products, as well as added to sauces, waffles, cakes, pancakes, puddings, cookies, muffins, and biscuits.

You can buy amaranth seeds or flour at a pharmacy or in health food departments.

When amaranth flour is added to regular baking flour at a rate of 10%, baked goods acquire a subtle, delicate, nutty taste and medicinal properties. And what’s amazing is that it doesn’t go stale for a long time.

We suggest baking bread with amaranth flour and bran. The recipe is universal; to prepare such healthy bread, you can use an oven, a bread machine, and knead the dough in a thermomix.

To prepare bread with the addition of amaranth flour we will need

Ingredients:

• amaranth seed flour - 120 gr.,
• wheat baking flour - 350 gr.,
• wheat bran - 30 gr.,
• dry yeast - 3 tsp,
• salt - 1 tsp,
• sugar - 2 tbsp. l.,
• water 350 ml,
• olive oil 2-3 tbsp. l.

Cooking process:

Knead the bread dough. The dough can also be kneaded by hand. To do this, mix the dry ingredients, add water, oil and knead the dough thoroughly. Place in a warm place to ferment well. Under no circumstances should the bowl of dough be placed in a draft.

If you have a thermomix, this is quite easy to do. Place all ingredients in a thermomix bowl. Select the “spikelet” mode. Time 5 minutes. The yeast dough must ferment for at least 3 hours. Periodically turn on the “spikelet” mode for a few seconds to knead the dough. After 3 hours, the dough for homemade bread with amaranth is ready for baking.

Transfer the bread dough into a loaf pan. Pre-lubricate the mold with olive or any odorless vegetable oil.

Let the bread rise for 20-30 minutes.

Bake bread with amaranth in an oven preheated to 220 degrees for 35 minutes. Wrap the hot loaf of bread in a linen towel and let cool. Our healthy and delicious amaranth bread is ready!

You can also knead the dough for amaranth bread and bake it in a bread machine according to the instructions.

Thanks to Vasilisa for the recipe and photo.

Bon appetit and good recipes!