Recipe: No (Well, much less) Spike White Bread

The world seems to be telling us not to eat bread, but bread tastes good!

The problem is that most bread that we buy is filled with preservatives, additives and other 'ives' that aren't good for us and only exist to extend product shelf life. They also seem to spike Arden's BG like theres no tomorrow. So I started making my own bread. No high fructose corn syrup, calcium stearoyl-2, lactylate or diglycerides (whatever the hell those are). 

I'm not telling you that you can eat a loaf of this bread without a blip on your CGM graph but it does make a sandwich or dinner side much more manageable. Here's the best recipe that I've found, it requires a bread machine. Also you'll notice that the flour is weighed, this is a totally necessary step to get a consistent loaf. 

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Bread Machine White Bread

From King Arthur Flour dot com

for large (1 1/2 to 2-pound) machine

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• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1/3 cup lukewarm milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 480 Grams of bread flour, I use King Arthur
• 1 tablespoon of vital wheat gluten

directions from King Arthur

1. Put all of the ingredients into your machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. 
2. Program the machine for basic white bread, and press Start.
3. When the loaf is done, remove the pan from the machine. After about 5 minutes, gently shake the pan to dislodge the loaf, and turn it out onto a rack to cool.

directions from scott

Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Breadmaker with Gluten Free Menu setting

$223.99

Zojirushi

Buy on Amazon

1. Add in this order. Water (just warm enough that it can warm the milk) - milk - sugar - salt - butter (cut into a few pieces) - flour (mounded high enough to keep the yeast from touching the liquid) - gluten - make a nest in the flour for the yeast. 
2. Basic white bread setting, light crust.
3. When the loaf is done, remove the pan from the machine. After about 5 minutes, gently shake the pan to dislodge the loaf, and turn it out onto a rack to cool.
4. Have a piece warm with butter, because bread tastes good!

I've included an Amazon associate link to the bread machine that I bought. It is expensive compared to many others but its a workhorse and making bread in a machine is more difficult than you would initially think, this machine makes the process a snap. Many machines don't do a good job, this on does.

In the end, cooking with simple natural ingredients helps managing diabetes and in everyday health. There's no real secret here. We also have a lot of luck with this pancake recipe. Good luck with those spikes and don't forget to pre-bolus!

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A Pancake Recipe for the Ages

Arden stumbled onto a simple pancake recipe that doesn't seem to effect her blood glucose adversely - After making them a number of times... I just had to share it with you to see if you have similar results.

Until now, every pancake recipe, box mix and restaurant pancake that we've tried has sent Arden's BG sky-high. A few weeks ago, Arden found a recipe in a Williams-Sonoma book that we've had for years. I can't vouch for the other recipes in the book, but these pancakes are light, tasty and don't make Arden's BGs spike or rebound.

There is nothing special about the recipe or the ingredients, and I have no way to be sure that your experience will be the same as ours, but if you love pancakes and have trouble eating them without a huge spike or a high or low rebound BG... this recipe is definitely worth a try.

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Ingredients

All-purpose Flour - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 tablespoons

Baking powder - 2 teaspoons

Baking soda - 1 teaspoon

Salt - 1 pinch

Milk - 1 cup (I use 1%, recipe isn't specific)

Large egg - 1

Unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons, melted (I use salted when I have to)

Vanilla extract - 1/4 teaspoon

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Nutritional Information and Insulin

This recipe did not include nutritional information so I was forced to guess about the carbohydrates when I administered Arden's insulin. I made the pancakes approximately 4-5 inches in diameter and, almost randomly, assigned a 15g carb value to each. I've made this recipe multiple times and each time Arden's CGM line, post-meal, was incredibly steady and she did not require additional insulin or food to keep the line steady. I think you'll agree, that is a huge success after pancakes. 

Pre bolus as you normally would.

Directions

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and set aside. 

In another bowl, whisk milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry, and stir until the lumps are not visible.

Cook pancakes on a griddle or frying pan. The recipe suggests canola oil to coat the pan, but I've also used a cooking spray with the same results.

I adjust the consistency when necessary with flour - (Probably thin because I use 1% milk).

Arden uses sugar-free syrup and butter on her pancakes.

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