Choosing the lesser evil. page

[Kochin]

So, I've started volunteering at a bakery that makes vegetarian and vegan breads and cakes. There's a cafe too, but that's closing down (which is sad, as they have piles of organic nuts, teas, seeds...etc and I often get an egg and veg meal whenever I'm there).

Back to the bakery, anyhow: they have a huge variety of different flours. HUGE. And I had an idea.
I'm sampling the breads, to work out which type of grain causes me the least pain and suffering. Why? Not so I can go back to eating bread (I doubt even the "good" stuff is amazing to you in the long run). I just want to know the safest flours I can use, so that, if I ever fancy a cheat (a pizza, for example), I have some ways of making it that will cause minimal damage.

So far:
-quinoa bread is OK, but not an amazing taste
-oats in every form are murder
-standard wheat and buckwheat are bad
-rice flour is tolerable
-spelt wheat causes literally no pain
-rye is killmurder
-anything with soy is reflux-and-mucus-city
-tuber-based flours are fine

I only have a small taste and try to space them out, so I can tell which one causes what. I haven't had many craving-control issues so far, but I feel it's worth-while, especially as the flour they use is non-mass-produced and, where possible, 100% organic. It's basically the type of flours current tribal people make: not a wonder-food, but at least natural. So anything that doesn't kill me is worth noting, in case I ever want a "proper" pizza or am forced to go very low budget.

Have you ever considered doing some "tests" to find your lesser-evils?

[RichMahogany]

Nah, I figure if I do this long enough and you find out incidentally or accidentally what's the least to most tolerable.

Been 5 years or so and I can tell you the following for sure:

A few beers = brain fog for a day or two
Hidden gluten products = bad indigestion
Overt gluten products come back the way they went in

[Paleobird]

Have you tried coconut flour?

[Kochin]

Have you tried coconut flour?

Yes, and almond flour. But the oilier texture once cooked and poor interaction with rising agents means they aren't quite the same for certain recipes.

Then again, I seem to be becoming disillusioned with bread the more random stuff I taste. No likey. So maybe it's not necessary. But, on the other hand: free bread. If I know what's less harmful and am short of cash, it could be a godsend.

[fifer]

Interesting that Spelt seems to be OK for you.

[magicmerl]

You should order them from best to worst.

Was this how it came out for your N=1?
-tuber-based flours are fine
-spelt wheat causes literally no pain
-rice flour is tolerable
-quinoa bread is OK, but not an amazing taste
-standard wheat and buckwheat are bad
-anything with soy is reflux-and-mucus-city
-oats in every form are murder
-rye is killmurder

Yes?

[eKatherine]

Interesting that Spelt seems to be OK for you.

Since spelt is just a variety of wheat.

[fifer]

exactly. but much older?

[eKatherine]

exactly. but much older?

Spelt, like emmer, farro, and kamut, contain gluten and are off-limits to those who are gluten intolerant.

[Paleobird]

Yes, and almond flour. But the oilier texture once cooked and poor interaction with rising agents means they aren't quite the same for certain recipes.

Then again, I seem to be becoming disillusioned with bread the more random stuff I taste. No likey. So maybe it's not necessary. But, on the other hand: free bread. If I know what's less harmful and am short of cash, it could be a godsend.

There was a whole thread here a while back on the Free the Animal Fat Bread which is a mix of coconut manna, eggs and macadamia nuts with a bit of baking powder and lemon juice. Awesome stuff.