The goal is to make a bread with the lowest hypoglycemic index possible. Is the wheat absolutely irreplaceable ?
No, but you will have to broaden your definition of what a bread is. Unleavened breads can use any flour whatsoever. Using baking powder can approximate a yeast bread in lightness but not in texture. Inherently, though, grinding any grain into flour increases the rate of glycemic release from it, so keeping as much of it as you can in more solid form helps. Cook barley or other grain first then just squash it; rolled oats already come that way. I doubt you'll be able to use a bread machine, though - I've never managed beyond 1/4 non-wheat with mine (http://sankey.ws/bread.html)
John Sankey wrote: :: The goal is to make a bread with the lowest :: hypoglycemic index possible. Is the wheat absolutely irreplaceable ? : : No, but you will have to broaden your definition of what a bread is. : Unleavened breads can use any flour whatsoever. Using baking : powder can approximate a yeast bread in lightness but not in : texture. Inherently, though, grinding any grain into flour increases : the rate of glycemic release from it, so keeping as much of it as : you can in more solid form helps. Cook barley or other grain first : then just squash it; rolled oats already come that way. I doubt : you'll be able to use a bread machine, though - I've never managed : beyond 1/4 non-wheat with mine (http://sankey.ws/bread.html)
In Finland people make even rye bread with a bread machine, so wheat is not irreplaceable, but it is easier to make it if there is some wheat also. Whole grain rye bread is the traditional bread here -- one of the few healthy aspects of the traditional Finnish diet along with eating wild berries. Whole grain rye bread has lower glycemic index than wheat bread.
