Healthy plaited loaf: recipe with courgettes and spelt four

A tasty plaited loaf that's healthy? With more nutrients and fewer calories, the plaited loaf made with courgettes is a strong competitor to the traditional butter-based version.

Lara Hüsler

2 March 2022 | 2 Min. Reading Time

A healthy plaited loaf – how to make it

The nutritional content of the traditional plaited loaf is nothing to write home about. But, by adding ingredients like courgettes and carrots and choosing the grade at which the flour is milled, we can boost the nutritional value of the much-loved Sunday loaf.

Facts on milling grades

Type of flour	Milling grade	Properties	Suitable for
white flour, type 400 or 550	low	Contains few parts of the husk and the grain.	Cakes, light breads, white breads, confectionery products
half-white flour, type 720	moderate	Contains slightly more husk particles and minerals than white flour.	Mixed breads, whiter breads and pastries
brown flour, type 1100	high	Contains many nutrients and is high in protein, minerals and vitamins.	Brown bakery products, breads, for mixing with other flours
whole grain flour, type 1900	highest	Contains the most fibre and lots of vitamins and minerals.	Brown breads, healthy biscuits and fibre-rich cakes

Recipe for a healthy spelt and courgette plaited loaf

This recipe needs around 35 minutes of active preparation. Rising and baking takes about 3 hours.

Ingredients

350g spelt flour

150g courgettes, grated, drained

50g walnuts, chopped

25g sunflower seeds

25g flaxseed, ground

35g almond butter, white

10g cacao powder

10g salt

3/4 pack dry yeast

150ml plant milk

1 tsp. agave syrup

Healthy plaited loaf: spelt courgettes — Courgettes not only contain healthy nutrients – they also make the dough nice and moist.

Prepare the dough

Place the flour in a bowl, add all the dry ingredients in the given order and mix.
Add the almond butter, plant milk, agave syrup and the drained courgettes, mix, and knead into a smooth dough. If the dough is too wet, add enough flour until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
Cover and leave at room temperature for approx. 2 hours until doubled in size.

Plait and bake

Plait the dough according to your preferred plaiting method. Place the loaf on a baking tray lined with baking paper and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Bake in the lower half of the oven for approx. 25-30 minutes. Remove when evenly golden brown and leave to fully cool on a rack.

Yeast: the basic component when baking

Yeast consists of fungi, which can multiply and grow by sprouting or dividing. In bread-baking, yeast makes the dough rise nicely, and also creates the pleasant smell of baking in the air.

The yeast fungus is packed with nutritional value

High concentrations of B vitamins (B1, B2, B6): important for metabolism and normal muscle and nerve functions.
Folic acid, pantothenic acid and biotin yeast: known as skin and hair «beautifiers», they are also said to strengthen hair growth and nails.
Potassium: important for stimulus conduction, muscle contraction.
Sodium: important for nerve impulses, heart rhythm.
Magnesium: important for (heart) muscle function, bone formation, the cardiovascular system.

Yeast as medicine

Yeast is not only found in bread – it is also used as the basis for medicines designed to restore the balance of the body’s natural microbiome (e.g. in diarrhoeal diseases like traveller’s diarrhoea, and in antibiotic treatments).