Cutting Eggs, Fat Trims Bread Calories

Dear Laura: I am wondering if you have any recipes for bread in which a slice might be 40 to 50 calories each? When I buy reduced-calorie breads in the store, each loaf is around $1.89 or more. Several times I have noticed that the bread tasted stale or old. I would love to make my own bread if I knew how to reduce the calories. Any ideas on how I could do this? Thank you. - Alice, Spokane.

Dear Alice: Select bread recipes with limited fat, and that use no eggs or just egg whites. Choose a recipe that calls for water or substitute skim milk for whole milk.

And when it’s time to wield the knife, slice the bread thinner than recommended. For example, in the following Oatmeal Toasting Bread, instead of cutting each loaf into 14 (72-calorie) slices, make the dough with skim milk and cut each loaf into 20 (50-calorie) slices.

Oatmeal Toasting Bread

From Carol Gelles’ “The Complete Whole Grain Cookbook.” About the recipe, she writes: “When this bread is freshly baked, it is dense, chewy and utterly delicious, but I like it even better when it’s toasted and spread with a little sweet butter and jam.” For healthier eating, skip the butter and use a little naturally sweetened fruit spread.

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup oat bran

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

1 package (1 scant tablespoon) yeast

2 to 3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour

Grease two 8-1/2-by 4-1/2-by 2-3/4-inch loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together boiling water and oatmeal. Let stand 1 minute. Stir in the water and milk. Stir in whole-wheat flour, bran, sugar and salt. Beat in egg, then yeast. Stir in 2 cups of the bread flour.

Turn out onto a heavily floured surface and knead for 7 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, using only as much of the remaining 1 cup flour as necessary to make a smooth dough that is only slightly sticky.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down.

Form dough into two loaves and place in prepared pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes, or until browned. Turn bread out onto wire racks to cool.

Yield: 2 loaves.

Nutrition information per slice (based on 14 slices per loaf): 72 calories, 8 milligrams cholesterol, 138 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber. (If desired, salt may be omitted to reduce sodium to 6 milligrams.)

Dear Laura: I’m wondering if you have the recipe for what some people call fruit cocktail pudding, and others call fruit cocktail pudding cake. It’s an easy recipe made with fruit cocktail. I used to have it, but I can’t find it any more. Thank you. - Billie, Spokane

Dear Billie: Many variations of this dessert appear in various community cookbooks. This one is from a late ‘70s Dorothy Dean recipe page.

Fruit Cocktail Pudding Cake

1-1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 egg

16-ounce can fruit cocktail, undrained

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Add egg, undrained fruit cocktail and vanilla; mix well. Spread batter evenly in a greased 9-inch square pan.

For the topping, mix brown sugar and 1 tablespoon flour; sprinkle over top. Cover with nuts.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool; cut into squares. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Laura Carnie The Spokesman-Review