Walnut and pumpkin seed bread

100g Kamut flour (Khorasan wheat flour)

400g organic, unbleached strong white flour

35g pumpkin seeds

20g chopped walnuts

20g olive oil

290g bottled water

100g sourdough starter

5g baker’s yeast

10g kosher salt

Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Add the water, salt, pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts, olive oil, sourdough starter and baker’s yeast. Mix together well and knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes. Leave to rise covered by a tea towel for 1.5 to 2 hours. Take the dough out of the bowl, shape into a ball and cover with a tea towel. Leave the dough to rise on a greased flat baking tray or place in a well floured banneton for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in bulk. Dust with Kamut flour, slash a cross on the bread with a lame or razor blade. Pre-heat the oven @ 220°C with a shallow tray of water at the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake for 26 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire tray, covered with a tea towel.

6 May 2017

Walnuts

Walnuts are an excellent source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 essential fatty acids, in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Walnuts are also rich in antioxidants, including being a very good source of manganese and copper. They are also a good source of molybdenum and the B vitamin biotin.

6 May 2017

Pumpkin Seeds

Crunchy, delicious pumpkin seeds are high in calories; about 559 calories per 100g. Also, they are packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals, and numerous health promoting antioxidants.
Their high calorific value mainly comes from protein and fats. Nonetheless, the kernels are especially rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) like oleic acid (18:1) that helps lower bad LDL-cholesterol and increases good HDL-cholesterol in the blood. Research studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet which is liberal in monounsaturated fatty acids contribute to preventing coronary artery disease and stroke risk by favouring healthy blood lipid profile.
Pumpkin seeds carry good-quality protein. 100g seeds provide 30g or 54% of recommended daily allowance of protein. Also, the seeds are an excellent source of amino acid tryptophan and glutamate. Tryptophan is converted into serotonin and niacin. Serotonin is a beneficial neurochemical often labelled as nature's sleeping pill. Further, tryptophan is the precursor of B-complex vitamin, niacin (60 mg of tryptophan = 1mg niacin).