This week I decided to bake bread...the kind that dietitians are not supposed to recommend—fluffy, white, homemade loaf bread. I will make some seedy wheat bread next, but I really wanted white bread this time.
It wasn't just the bread. I can get great fresh bread from the market any day I want to. It was the experience of making it. Putting on an apron that belonged to my mom, measuring the flour, kneading the dough...taking a peek at the rising dough every few minutes, then smelling that fabulous, homey, rich, comfort-food aroma of the bread baking. We ate it with soft butter and honey and made some fantastic French toast the next day.
The best part? It made me happy to make it, and it made others happy to eat it. It has motivated me to do more baking, and get to those other things on the list that I have put off for too long. Tomorrow, I am taking out my flute.
Don't let chronic illness and interstitial cystitis steal all of your pleasures. Pick one thing you haven't done in awhile, and reclaim the activity for yourself.
Amish White Bread (from Confident Choices: A Cookbook for IC and OAB)
Ingredients
- 2 c. warm water (110°F)
- 2/3 c. white sugar
- 1-1/2 T. active dry yeast
- 1-1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 6 c. bread flour
In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth (8-10 minutes or about 250 times). Place in a well-oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two well-oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Savor...........
Julie Beyer, MA, RDN
Looking For More Bladder Safe Recipes?
For step by step guidance for creating your own personal interstitial cystitis meal plan, see: Confident Choices®: Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet.
For some basic, family-style, IC bladder-friendly recipes, see: Confident Choices®: A Cookbook for Interstitial Cystitis and Overactive Bladder
For health care workers: Interstitial Cystitis: A Guide for Nutrition Educators 
I thought yeast was a no no for IC!
ReplyDeleteYeast is fine for most IC patients. If you have seen that someplace, let me know and I will try to tease out why they may have said that. :-)
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