Susan with Ania Catalano, author of Baking with Agave Nectar.
Recently I attended the Healthy Baking Seminar in Anaheim, CA sponsored by Modern Baking Magazine and affiliates. The seminar promised a satisfying program. A baker interested in healthful eating—well—yes, you can bake and even eat what you bake and remain healthy and at an appropriate weight. But this is diverting from my journey with you here
Among subjects discussed included trends in healthy baking using colored natural ingredients such as red and purple carrots for pigment interest on the manufacturing level. In addition, “multigrain” is being amended to include “ancestral” seeds and grains including buckwheat (which I love since I was a teen) and replacing soy with bean flour. Here we are looking at baking industry manufacturing trends as well as a concept for home bakers as the consumer becomes more open to new ingredients to liven up flavors and textural experiences for themselves and their families.
In 1980 I wrote a Master’s thesis detailing a curriculum that enabled junior high students to prepare and taste nutritious (nutrient dense) foods that emphasized healthful breakfast and snack choices. The students were required to enroll in this rather rigorous course before enrolling in the “fun” International Foods class.
Now there are those that will not believe this next statement but really the research has not changed much since that time in terms of what constitutes healthful eating. You know the drill—whole grains (complex carbohydrates), fruits and vegetables, milk products low fat, water, low sugar intake on a regular basis, on so on.
What has changed though is that consumers are more aware of the importance of making healthful food choices and the awareness of the fact that the food choices that you make affect your health.
Back to the Healthy Baking Seminar—Katie Martin, Chief Editor of Modern Baking Magazine, revealed that “better-for-you baked products” is the fastest growing niche in the baking industry. Thanks to her organizational skills, presenters covered current topics such as the benefits of healthier ingredient alternatives such as using raisins, honey, and agave nectar, an organic, low-glycemic sweetener that does not affect blood sugar levels as does refined sugar.
Ania Catalano, author of a book about baking with agave nectar related various hints using the sweetener as a substitute for more traditional sugars. Products brown faster than with sugar so lowering the temperature twenty five degrees is recommended. Agave is sweeter that table sugar so for every cup of granulated sugar use 2/3-3/4 cup of the nectar depending on the product.
Have you ever heard of the chia seed? Well I had not before the seminar! Packages of the seeds were prominently displayed as a representative from The Chia Company, located in Australia, expanded upon the exceptional nutritive properties of chia seed which according to the literature contain “the highest plant form or omega 3 oils, dietary fiber, and protein.”
And because I like to research further, my understanding of the seeds’ hydrophilic properties is that the seeds absorb more than 12 times its weight in water. So this connects with its ability within the body to promote cellular hydration which enables greater efficiency in the body’s use of fluids and electrolyte balance. This is good stuff!
Since attending the seminar I have noticed the use of the chia seed and ground chia meal added to various baked goods .Chia seeds range from white to black in color, do not contain gluten and can be used as an egg substitute.
The esteemed Michel Suas demonstrated various flour characteristics for bread production. Gluten presence, dough characteristics, crumb color and characteristics, flavor and the value of pre-ferments were discussed. Spelt (contains gluten), teff, millet, quinoa, amaranth, and flax meal were represented in the presentation.
Gluten-free baking is a hot topic because it seems that a surprising number of people may be gluten sensitive without being actually allergic to gluten itself! In fact, alternative and ancient grains used in baking is a topic covered in my Summer baking class that begins in mid July. Our adventures will be covered in future blogs!
