Will wrote:
> Seems like I heard that most "wheat bread" at the store has processed the
> "good stuff" out of it.

Not 100% necessarily so... plain old white wheat bread (like Wonder)
may contain far more nutrition than many typical 100% whole wheat
breads. Often *enriched* flours contain more nutrition than whole
grain flours (in almost all cases, ounce for ounce, any enriched flour
contains more nutrition than the natural whole grain flour
counterpart). About the only dietary component one can be fairly
certain of receivng more of from whole grain bread is bran (which of
course contains 0% nutritional value - bran is a dietary component, not
a nutritional component). To know the nutritional value contained in
commercailly prepared breads you need to read the label... with
homemade breads there is no way to make such a determination, leastways
no practical way... for the vast majority of home bakers they'd need
access to a food testing laboratory. Typically commercially prepared
breads (especially the big brands) contain greater nutritional value
than homemade.

Most of the vitamin nutrition in grains is contained in the germ,
whereas most of that nutrition is lost just by the milling process,
more is lost simply by being around awhile, and then most of what
manages to remain is lost from exposure to heat in baking. I'm sure
some of you have noticed that wheat germ is packaged in glass jars,
vacuum packed... and clearly state to refrigerate upon opening. I've
yet to see any whole grain flours sold in the refrigerated case... so
by the time you buy it it's already too late to preserve it's nutrition
by refrigerating.

The big commercial bread companys purchase their wheat before it's
planted, and then oversees its treatment every step of the way,
monitoring it constantly from seed to finished product. Flours yoose
buy off the stupidmarket shelf is typically already well past it's
prime. One of the best ways for the home baker to obtain full
nutritional value is to include some whole *unprocessed* grains in
their bread... and find a source where there is good turnover and
proper storage (preferably refrigerated). Of course one can always
mill their own flours, but still include some whole unprocessed grain
because heat generated from milling destroys/evaporates much vitamin
nutrition.

Sheldon