August 16, 2012 - 10:44am
Barley bread (coarse) 70 - 80%
I am having a hard time finding recipes for barley bread. My father is diabetic and visits every few months, but my bread offerings have always bugged me as they have been in the medium to high index ranges. Barley bread consisting of 70 to 80% kernels/pearls has a glycemic index of 34. I think my next choice would have to be whole grain pumpernickel, which I do not have enough to make a loaf of bread for.
Does anyone have one kicking around by chance?
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From various websites I have gotten the impression that 100% barley bread handles pretty much like 100% rye bread, so I am guessing that you could take any 100% rye bread recipe and try making it with 100% barley. I have personally used them interchangeably in wheat bread, but only at the level of about 15% by weight.
Hmm okay, thank you for the reply. I will look into that.
Sourdough bread ranks lower on the index. Take a look at this link as a starting point and this might be another option for you.
Jeff
http://www.livestrong.com/article/470019-sourdough-bread-blood-sugar/
Barley bread made of 70 to 80% coarse cut kernels is GI 34 and GL 7 according to Harvard, which is lower than sourdough. I figured since my sourdough starter bit the dust I could probably make a bread with pearls, wheat germ and such and send it home. I would definitely make sourdough for him if it wasn't for the fact that I'm currently rebuilding a starter =(
It looks like I need to do more research and in the meantime I'll feed him a local bread that has a low GI/GL for this trip. He's AWFUL about following his diet/counting carbs, etc. He loses substainable weight when he visits for a few days and the doctors started encouraging him to visiting me more often because apparently, I watch his diet more than he does.
I made a batch of the Rustic Pumpernickel from ITJB to take to my dad when we visited this past weekend. Between it being 85% rye and sourdough, too, it seemed like it would be easier on his blood sugar levels than some of the other things he likes to eat. He's perfectly willing to watch what he eats, as it goes from plate to mouth. Exerting some discipline about what he eats is another matter entirely.
Paul
http://sourdough.com/recipes/100-barley-bread
I will definitely consider this in the future and see if I can work it with coarse cut kernels =) (Flour has a higher GI than the kernel itself because the body can convert it to sugars faster. The less processed, the slower the body will convert it for the most part).