I needed some mayo, so I stopped by Target on the way home from the gym this evening. On my way to that area of the store, I ended up walking past all the breads (since they’re in the same aisle). What caught my eye was some Sugar Free 100% Whole Wheat bread from Mrs Baird’s.
I wasn’t even aware that regular bread had an appreciable amount of added sugar (I just figured that all their carbs were due to the flour). At first, it came to mind that maybe this was like the labeling of some peanut butters as “cholesterol free”. Of course, because only animal-based products can contain cholesterol, all peanut butters have no cholesterol (since they’re made from peanuts). Along those some lines, I considered for a moment that maybe this was just a new labeling initiative.
But, I then went to check the labels themselves. I compared the Sugar Free bread to some nearby rye bread (also from Mrs Baird’s). The rye bread had 14g carbs (with 1g fiber) while the Sugar Free bread had 9g carbs (with 2g fiber). So, discounting the fiber, the Sugar Free bread had an effective carbs of 7g per slice — which is about half that of regular bread.
It came to mind that it could be mighty tasty to have a tuna sandwich from time to time (just like old times), so I picked up two loaves. I’ve transcribed the ingredients below, and it looks like there’s nothing egregiosly bad in there:
Whole Wheat Flour, Water, Wheat Gluten, Yeast, Wheat Bran. Contains 2% or Less of the Following: Soybean Oil, Crushed Wheat, Extract of Corn and Barley Malt, Maltodextrin, Wheat Fiber, Calcium Sulfate, Salt, Datem, Grain Vinegar, Corn Starch, Mono and Diglycerides, Ethoxylated Mono and Diglycerides, Calcium Prorionate, Aspartame, Soy Lechtin, Enzymes
And, yes, it apparently contains Aspartame (Nutrasweet). Perhaps breads normally have token amount of sugar to round out the flavor (as opposed to conspicuously sweetening it) and the Aspartame was needed to fill that role. And if Mrs Baird’s website didn’t suck so much, I’d compare this with the ingredients of their other breads (but, their website doesn’t list the ingredients for any of their products).
In any case, I’ll write more about the bread once I’ve had a chance to taste it. And, if you’re looking for this bread on your own, the most easily noticed design element is probably the words “Sugar Free“ which are written in white text against a green banner.
I’ll wait to see what you think it tastes like before I try it. But I’m really interested in hearing your review on it; keep me posted!
I am looking for a recipe or a loaf of bread
that is sugar free and whole wheat.
I am on Suzanne Somers diet. I am at this
moment trying to make her soft pretzel dough
into a loaf of bread.
Do you know of any such bread to buy?
Can have no sugar, shortning, corn etc etc.
Thanks
Carol
This sugar free wheat bread is a perfect example of foods that should be listed in http://www.foodb.com‘s data base. Go see the site – it’s one of a kind.
Members can add their favotive ____ free foods. Bye now.
Does anyone actuall have a sugar free wheat bread recipie without adding a bunch of other funky food stuffs to it (other than molassis that is). Thanks Matt
I learned recently I am a diabetic, so of course I am filtering out foods with sugar in them. I am totally mystified as to why bread manufacturer’s feel there should be any added sugar. I am thinking, it may be added to activate the yeast starter for rising purposes.Since this may be the case, it has become a “traditional” taste factor in whole wheat breads. I am not waiting. I am buying a book on bread making and I am going to experiment at home with making my own whole wheat bread without ANY sugar. It might be fun :) I am sure it won’t rise as well as the store bought loaves, but it sure will be healthier for me than eating high fructose corn syrup, maltose sugar or brown sugar which is contained in the commercial products. And I actually like more chewy, harder crusted breads anyway! I would encourage anyone who reads this to get their hands involved in their kitchen and make home made bread! Hmmm mmm! Think of the smell! LOL. I found this site, just in passing.
try using organic plain yogurt as a sub. for honey or other sweeteners in bread
this is crap da bread is yuck without sugar
Thanks for the post. It is hard to find bread that tastes good and is sugar free.
I just found out that my killer migraines are caused by sugar so I have to eliminate it from my diet. But I am really craving bread. Does anyone have a recipe on how to make wheat bread without sugar, honey, artificial sweeteners, stevia, or molasas if you have one PLEASE email me it. I am desperate. My email is lambright_paula@yahoo.com
I don’t understand the mystification. I have been making home made bread all my adult life. It is no big deal. I use 2 tbsp yeast dissolved in water with a “pinch” of sugar. 2 tbsp salt and 4 cups water. I mix some water and flour until I get a gooey mix then I add the swollen yeast. I continue adding water then the rest of the flour (add flour until you get the right consistancy) Then place it in an oiled bowl and cover with wax paper until it rises double. Shape. let rise until double and bake at 400 f. (about 45 min) If you like more crust, lower the oven to 300f and leave the bread another 20 min. If you have a good quality mixer, it is so easy and you can freeze it for over a week and it will always taste fresh p.s. if you want no sugar at all, go ahead, just takes a little longer for the yeast to swell up
Sugar is used to react the yeast and decrease rise times. Time is money for commercial bakeries. I make mine without sugar in the bread machine, let it rise a little longer and bake it in the oven. It tastes great. I am used to bread without sugar because I am not from USA, where it seems adding sugar is a common practice. Corporate greed at its finest.
Aspen Mills Bakery out of Ogden, UT makes a bread that has no sugar out of five ingredients: Whole wheat flour, water, yeast, honey and salt. I really want to figure out the recipe and so far am disappointed, but I may try fudging with those ingredients to see if I can make it happen. If I can I may try to put the recipe on paper, but no guarantees.
As a sidenote my MIL partially subscribes to the raw food diet – the main way of ‘cooking’ food is dehydration – and I wonder what chefs of this ‘trade’ would do with whole wheat flour. I would like to incorporate this as much as possible but so far do not have the money to invest.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bread-Machine-Sugar-Free-Bread/Detail.aspx
Here is another recipe I found, though I am not as thrilled with it as the Aspen Mills stuff. I like to stay away from dairy when possible.
What grocery store can you purchase Whole Wheat Bread with out any form of sugar.
http://www.naturesownbread.com/NAT_Varieties/Variety.cfm?CategoryID=100&ProductID=17
This is the kind of sugar free bread I purchase. It has no aspartame in it but does contain “natural flavors” and who knows what those may be! Even my picky kids eat this bread without batting an eye.
Here are the ingredients:
STONEGROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, MALTITOL, WHEAT GLUTEN, YEAST, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: BUTTER *, SALT, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, CALCIUM STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, ETHOXYLATED MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, DATEM), CULTURED WHEY (MILK), VINEGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS, CALCIUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, YEAST FOOD (AMMONIUM SULFATE)
* A TRIVIAL SOURCE OF CHOLESTEROL
Made some bread last night/ this morning guessing as the amounts of flour, water, yeast, honey and salt that Sunny mentioned above. See what happened here.
http://reneetheneohippy.wordpress.com/
My own variation on Mark Bittman’s no-knead bread from the New York Times (the easiest bread recipe ever):
stir together in a bowl with a loose-fitting lid:
2 c wheat flour
1 c white flour
2 T cracked wheat
2 t salt
1/4 t dry yeast
Add 1-1/2 c + 3 T water, stir until “shaggy”-looking. Cover and allow to sit overnight. Dump out onto a floured countertop and sprinkle thoroughly with flour (be reasonably gentle with it–the more air stays in, the lighter the loaf will be). Rinse out your bowl and put the floured dough back in; again cover loosely. Stick it on the stovetop to rise in the warmth while preheating the oven and a covered baking dish to 450degF (cast iron or pyrex work great). When hot, pull out the baking dish (carefully) and dump the loaf in. Stick it back in the oven, covered, for 30min; take off the lid and bake for another 15min. Dump it out and allow to cool.
It’s tasty.
Covered loaf pans can be hard to find, but I picked up an old one at a thrift store. Works like a charm and I’m never without sandwich makings.
If you enjoy English muffins, you can make some at the “dump it on the counter” stage. This bread’s holey texture makes it perfect for them. Lightly grease and dust with cornmeal a cast iron skillet…preheat on a low flame. Slice off chunks of dough and toss them in the skillet–cook 10 minutes, or until nicely browned, and then flip and cook another 8 minutes. You can do this in the morning while you fry up bacon and eggs in another skillet–delicious.
Always looking for bread without any sweetners including sugar. Whole Foods Market has a good selection.
Does anyone have a locaton to buy sugar free bread? It is not the sugar that I dislike, I dislike the tast of sweet bread! I remember my mom made bread as a kid. It was not sweet, but moist and heavy, like you were eating something special! More of a salty taste than sweet! Thanks, Ray
Nothing bad?
Pretty sure you named Aspartame.
I avoid that stuff like the Black Death.
That stuff is horrible.
I don’t even try to consume proccessed sugar at all, I mean its been bleached and addictive. I see no reason to substitute that with something that may have caused holes to form in the brains of mice.
Better off using naturals such as non-proccessed honey, or other such products.
You asked about Baird’s normal ingredients. Excepting your sugar free loaf, all Mrs. Baird’s has high fructose corn syrup in it.
Read William Dufty’s “Sugar Blues”. Before the year 1400 as us westerner’s reckon time, it seems there was no sugar in anything. You could be sent to jail for “sophisticating” (aka adulterating it). No wonder we’re all diabetics and hypoglycemics.
I buy this bread because of the fact it’s sugar free and so far, it’s the only sugar free one I can find. I’m not fond of the ‘sweet’ taste that I don’t notice in ‘regular’ bread.
Don’t you know that Aspartame is one of the most dangerous chemicals we can put in our bodies. If it reaches the temperature of 86 degrees, it turns to formaldehyde which goes straight to the brain. We wonder why everyone is getting Alzheimer’s. Our bodies are at a temperature of 98.6. Duh!!!
Bread here in Utah could easily be categorized as Pastry. I have yet to find an unsweetened ‘Toaster’ sized loaf. Every Bakery in SLC produces ‘sugar bread’. Recently I flew back home with an elderly German business man. “When I retire” he said “I am going to come here to America and make a fortune”, he was an amusing companion and I asked him how? “Americans don’t know how to make proper bread” he replied! On refection I think that French bread in particular can be a delight – but unless eaten on the day of purchase is quickly hard…our bread keeps for weeks!
Why does Mrs. Baird’s sugar free bread taste so sweet??? I don’t get it. The ingredients show there’s no sugar, but it tastes very sweet to me. Somthing fishy going on with that?
You can make your own sugar free bread easily:
2 1/2 dl finger warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
let sit until foamy
add about 6 1/2 dl flour (your choice-part wheat or rye)
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons dry milk (can be omitted)
knead well and let sit until double in size.
knead again and let rise again in a loaf pan.
bake in a medium oven 200 C.
As to why Mrs Baird’s ‘Sugar Free’ bread tastes sweet, it’ll be the sugar. Maltodextrin is a sugar. So is Maltitol, which was in Nature’s Own ‘Sugar Free’ bread.
And that’s before we even get on to the aspartame (ever heard of Gulf War Syndrome?)
Maltodextrin IS Sugar. Bread companies think we’re stupid. You might be surprised at how many names sugar has. Here is a list to start:
barley malt
beet sugar
brown sugar
buttered syrup
cane-juice crystals
cane sugar
caramel
carob syrup
corn syrup
corn syrup solids (the MAIN ingredient in most BABY formulas! Can you believe it??!
That’s just a small taste of it. There are many, many more so read more
date sugar
dextran
dextrose
diatase
diastatic malt
ethyl maltol
fructose
fruit juice
fruit juice concentrate
glucose
glucose solids
golden sugar
golden syrup
grape sugar
high-fructose corn syrup
honey
invert sugar
lactose
malt syrup
maltodextrin
maltose
mannitol
molasses
raw sugar
refiner’s syrup
sorbitol
sorghum syrup
sucrose
sugar
turbinado sugar
yellow sugar
from the website:
http://www.fitsugar.com/Other-Names-Sugar-Appear-Labels-810571
Spread the word, that we just want manufacture’s to stop using fancy uncommon names in hope to fill their bread with “cheap processed sugars” and start giving us nothing but wholesome ingredients.