Looking for a good whole grain sandwich bread for a baby

This is hopefully a helpful comment from a nutritionist which you may already be aware of. When choosing the recipe for you baby's bread, it's best to start with a semi-white recipe using grains which are not too coarse, and slowly increase the coarser textured breads. Their little intestines have to be slowly introduced to coarser textures. Bought white and finely ground whole meal bread are risky when introducing bread to infants as they can form a sort of plug in their throats which either cause them to gag or feel pain when they swallow the bolus.

Would you consider using some kibbled wheat which you can reduce the particle size further in a food processor and soak it so that it is soft before you incorporate it into your bread dough?
If you like, I'll have a look through my copious recipes for something which you may find suitable. The evening has just all but finished here (NZ) but I'll be home from work to-morrow afternoon so will do a bit of research then. M

Raising babies around Artisan bread loaves was new to me when I was a young mother.  I remember when those first teeth came and it was suggested that the ends are perfect!  Granted you brush off all the seeds, knock off any loose crust and round any sharp edges a little and it should be a few days old.  Never leave babies alone with food and bread is no exception.  Now you must understand that the ends are the favorite part of the loaf in my extended family but everyone is willing to sacrifice an end for a baby.  Even letting it dry out a bit.   It is a good way to learn to chew and tastes good too!  I found the fluffy sandwice bread tended to ball up and babies choked on it.  The denser bread when held by mom, babies tended to slobber and soften just the amount of crumbs they could swallow, I wouldn't go sticking tiny little pieces of bread in their mouth.   :)  Mini Oven

Just got home and haven't gone to the books yet, JIP. In my early mothering days I gave the babies fingers of toast which they would bite pieces off with their new incisors. They seemed to manage bread better this way (complete with PB or Marmite and slobber). M

Just got home and haven't gone to the books yet, JIP. In my early mothering days I gave the babies fingers of toast which they would bite pieces off with their new incisors. They seemed to manage bread better this way (complete with PB or Marmite and slobber). M

You could take a good white sandwich bread recipe and substitute whole grain flour in about a 4-1 proportion. Oatmeal or flour, cornmeal, spelt, teff- do they still make triticale? I often make a soft 'porridge' by cooking whole millet, quinoa or other grain and adding that to my bread, maybe a 5-1 proportion to keep the bread light.

A bit OT but I had to report: last year my niece was 10 months old at Easter and just starting solid food. She helped me knead some country french dough (stuck her hands in anyway!) and then had her first scrap of bread from the resulting loaf. This year she is learning to talk and my sister tells me she demands "toast" whenever she sees bread on the table. I think I fulfilled my duty as an uncle ;-)

sPh

does anyone remember it? A toast like biscuit/cookie for babies? I'm not sure what type of flour it was made with, but alot babies gnawed on them..well, at least in my day a millenium ago  :  )

So that's what zwieback were. We called them rusks! They must have been made with a finely processed low gliuten flour. The sugar content was higher than that of bread though.

So that's what zwieback were. We called them rusks! They must have been made with a finely processed low gliuten flour. The sugar content was higher than that of bread though.

So that's what zwieback were. We called them rusks! They must have been made with a finely processed low gliuten flour. The sugar content was higher than that of bread though.

My recipe calls for 5 cups of ap flour to 1 cup of light rye, and 1/2 cup of sugar, as well as the ubiquitous '2 packages yeast'.

HOnestly, I'd go for something wholewheat. I use 100% wholewheat and I think it is great. Dont go putting all that sugar into it...thats just asking for diabeties. Especially from such a young age.....why not try spelt flour...wholemeal spelt flour. it makes bread a bit denser, you have to knead it for half the time but should be delicate on babies tummies.

I can suggest going to floydm's sandwhich loaf recipe in this site and substituting it with wholewheat spelt flour, maybe some half a cup of semolina flour and half a cup of rye flour. add a couple tablespoons of olive/rice bran oil.

It will probably make for a dense loaf, but nutritional and very tasty.

You could even play around with some soaked oats and put that into the dough as well. Why not!

I will strngly advise to not put sweetners into your bread...especially with babies and young children. It may add to the flavour, but if you use a preferment like in rustic loaf (also on this site) and the tastier flours like spelt flour and rye flour semolina gives a good flavour and extra texture then sugar wont be needed.

I will happily share my sandwhich loaf recipe with you if you want a straight out recipe. :)

Hello JIP,
I have found a recipe in Beth Hensberger's "The Bread Bible" which could be suitable for your toddler. I haven't made it myself but would have given it a go if my children were youngsters.

OATMEAL-BULGUR BREAD
Makes 3 round or 3 x 8in. by 4 in. loaves

Sponge
1 Tb active dry yeast
2 Tb light brown sugar
2/3 cup bulgur wheat, fine or medium ground
2-1/4 cups warm water (105ºF - 115ºF)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Dough
1-1/4 cups regular rolled oats
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 Tb vegetable oil
1 Tb salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour

A. To make the sponge:
In a large bowl or a the work bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, pour in the water. Sprinkle the yeast, 2 Tb brown sugar and the bulgur wheat over the surface of the water for and let stand for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat hard until well moistened and creamy, about 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 1 hour.

B To make the dough:
To the bowl with the sponge, add the rolled oats, bran, brown sugar, oil and salt. Beat hard for 1 minutes. add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat for another minute. add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat for another 1 minute, or until stretchy and well-moistened. add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon when needed if mixing by hand.

C. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes, dusting with the flour, 1 Tb at a time as needed to prevent sticking. (If kneading by machine, switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 3-4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy, and springs back when pressed. If desired, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly by hand.

D. Place the dough in a greased deep container. Turn once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

E. Gently deflate the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Grease or parchment-line a a baking sheet or grease 3 x 8 by4 in. loaf pans. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Form each portion into a round or rectangular loaf and put on the baking sheet or on the loaf pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

F. 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Using a serrated knife, gently slash the top of the loaves no more than 1/4 in. deep. Place the baking sheet or pans on the rack in the centre of the oven and bake 35-40 minutes, or until the loaves are browned and sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn the loaves out immediately onto a cooling rack. cool completely before slicing.

Thanks for that, Paddycake, I'll have to give it a go. What grade of bulghur wheat did you use?

http://suite101.com/article/introducing-baby-to-grains-a201444