Baked my own, experimental NO FAT CHIPS - Horizontal bread/rolls and crunchy snacks pg 2

[Matt Gruber]

So i really didn't look to see what stores sell in NO FAT chips, i just had some 2 year old flour that i'm not sure is still good, so i used some to test this idea. Ive used Saltines in the past, but they are really crackers, and sometimes they are browned and i don't like that. Also they seem to add a little fat. I did try years ago, but about half were ruined. too wet or burnt. Problem was i was trying to bake them along with rolls. They both need different time/temp. and too thick was like biting into rock
So this time did just the chips and results are much better. Oddly the bottom is tan and the top is white. taste good except old while being fresh baked a unique flavor

[Matt Gruber]

so they proved to be a good snack today. ate 4 oz, as they are easy to crunch lots of them. flour contains 2% fat, so while not totally fat free, munch less fat than corn chips, which are 47% fat. flour is 11.7% protein.
I skipped my pasta dish today, as i ate 400 calories from chips, about double my pasta dish.
While bread is said to cause a sugar spike, my chips should be OK as i didn't eat them all at once.
Would not call the chips a health food, but not junk food either.
It's fun to bake something tasty

[DAND214]

so they proved to be a good snack today. ate 4 oz, as they are easy to crunch lots of them. flour contains 2% fat, so while not totally fat free, munch less fat than corn chips, which are 47% fat. flour is 11.7% protein.
I skipped my pasta dish today, as i ate 400 calories from chips, about double my pasta dish.
While bread is said to cause a sugar spike, my chips should be OK as i didn't eat them all at once.
Would not call the chips a health food, but not junk food either.
It's fun to bake something tasty

Sounds great! What do you do to make them. All I have read is how good they are, not how to bake them.

Dan

[Matt Gruber]

Hi Dan,
I took 2 1/4 cups of flour, added 1/2t salt and 5 1/2oz water. i used my bread maker to mix the dough.
then i rolled it out into 2 non stick baking sheets, thin, about 1/16"
then sprinkle salt on the top, rolled again to press in the salt.
i put them on shelf 2 and 3 (not on lowest or highest position)
i do not preheat! i don't trust the temp gauge.
turn on for 10 min - watch for any sign of browning- SHUT OFF! Figure your 1st batch may be ruined.
off for 10 min
on for 2 min
using ONLY lower 2.5kw element
then off for an hour or 2 to be sure they totally dry out. even so i threw away 10% that was too thick and did not dry. Snap into bite size pieces. Don't shove a big piece into your mouth. They are sharp
let us know if you try it. happy munching

[Matt Gruber]

So i did some research and learned how to make rolls with no oil
All i had to do was put 2 pans w/water on the floor of the oven. This keeps it humid in there which keeps the rolls soft, which is how i like them. Made 15 tolls today and they came out good.
Past 20 years i was adding 3 TBSP of canola oil(for 15 rolls) which i thought was heart healthy; but this turned out to be a lie to sell oil.
My next experiment will be to try all purpose flour (1.49-5# vs 3.19 for bread flour) BUT to make bread, because now i usually eat only 1/2 a slice, to avoid a blood sugar spike. The cheaper dough is too sticky to make rolls, hopefully i can dump it on to the baking sheet in a big blob, and i hope to get it off the sheet or cut it on the sheet if it welds itself on. Anyway i plan to make chips and don't want to have to buy 2 types of flour because bugs sometimes get in, and i throw it out

[cooking monkey]

Very interesting, I just may try that. I have been using a meat slicer to evenly thin cut potato's, spread them out on a paper plate, or better yes a plastic net, place in the microwave and cook. You have to watch each plate as the window of time from just right to burnt as a crisp is measured in seconds, but once you get the thickness of the slices, power level and time right you wind up with great chips! fat free.

[Matt Gruber]

Very interesting, I just may try that. I have been using a meat slicer to evenly thin cut potato's, spread them out on a paper plate, or better yes a plastic net, place in the microwave and cook. You have to watch each plate as the window of time from just right to burnt as a crisp is measured in seconds, but once you get the thickness of the slices, power level and time right you wind up with great chips! fat free.

good idea! i like using fresh produce. i don't have a meat slicer, but i'll try my potato peeler and see what happens.
.
made another batch of chips. a lot of work rolling it out. i wonder if a soupy batter would work
just pour it out and heat on low until it mostly evaporates, then go full power EDIT i tried this and it is not a good idea 60% trash and long clean up time.

[Matt Gruber]

Neighbor threw out an old gas grille. Temp gauge was like new. came off with a wing nut. So now i can replace my broken one, and i'll be able to tell you guys what temp burns things. reads to 650F so i can be precise

[Matt Gruber]

Baked some fresh chips- 340F Even better with fresh flour. 5# bag $1.69 good for about 8-10 batches so really cheap.
only 1% waste- stuck to pan. would need chisel so will soak off.
Will try bread next- BUT no instructions, got maker at yard sale for $3 so i'm not expecting success on the 1st try, if at all. I've been using it for years just to mix dough.
Have a new maker in the box, might try that if it is a disaster.

[Matt Gruber]

Tried the all purpose flour and made rolls. Next time i'll up the yeast from 1t to 2t. Not much rise
A hard roll, but good anyway. Real chewy. I ate 2 so it must of been good.
Hard to slice, under 1/2" thick i wore gloves in case the knife might slip.
Used 4-1/4 cups plus 1/4 cup oats. 10oz water. made 15 rolls, so 120 calories each.
Still trying to gain weight; very hard to do despite eating 6 plates of food a day ( without any oil or meat in my anti-diabetes diet)

[Matt Gruber]

Forgot to add the salt on a batch of chips But, i like them almost as much, and it is easier to STOP eating them
PS Note my updated sig, below

[grindz145]

This just in: Fat is GOOD for you, high glycemic index carbs Fried veggie oil is of course horrible so at least you don't have that...

[Matt Gruber]

This just in: Fat is GOOD for you, high glycemic index carbs Fried veggie oil is of course horrible so at least you don't have that...

Saturated fat and monounsaturated fat gave me diabetes type 2 This may be good for the medical industrial complex, but it is not good for me As long as i stay away from those bad oils, and eat the right foods, my diabetes will not return
BUT there are HEALTHY fats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snc4olJ ... ex=10&t=8s that don't cause diabetes; i now add ground flax to all my meals, and i grind it myself so it is fresh. flax oil goes rancid in as little as a day or 2, so i don't trust that oil at all. I grind a 5 day supply and keep it in the freezer, BUT flax meal is said to keep up to 6 months in the fridge. I tried the meal and whatever they do to it causes it to lose the nice nutty flavor

[Matt Gruber]

Made another batch of no fat chips this time i put both sheets on the lowest rack, very close to the element 5 min on 5 off and 5 on. this cut 2 minutes off the on time. Started to brown, so next i'll try 5/5/4/?/?
Taste very good, w/salt, but still lost 10% stuck like epoxy
A lady chef said she roasts sweet potatoes; might try that as i just got 20 lbs at .30/lb
So nobody made their own chips? only .10-.20/bag

[John in CR]

Fat isn't the issue you think it is. That regular flour is far worse than a bit of fat due to it's high glycemic index. The overall effects are easy to see in the general population. "Low fat" has been the in thing the last 2 or 3 decades, yet overall people have just gotten fatter. It's highly processed stuff that so quickly and easily turns into blood sugar that's the culprit, along with the GMO crops that grow quickly and easily but end up with a high glycemic index as well.

[Matt Gruber]

John
this short video sums it up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGwhTZZ3Wf8
It is great to hear from you, but you got it backwards! Very common mistake. The reason glucose was high in my blood, is that it could not enter my muscle cells, due to FAT clogging up the works. Now i feel great, and i'm on my 2nd 5 lb bag of flour! If i had $1 for every Dr. that made the same mistake, i'd be rich
see sig. Look up those world famous Dr's and learn from experts, like i did.
PS The notion that T2 diabetes is CAUSED by high glucose is like saying
a FLAT TIRE is CAUSED by a lack of air. We all know that the CAUSE of a flat tire, is some damage to the tire, like a NAIL. Filling the tire with air every day is not going to fix the root cause of the problem, yet every 6 year old can see the obvious; that it just needs air
High glucose is the RESULT of diabetes, NOT the cause. The blood test is a lot less painful than an angiogram which would show the internal fat buildup, which is the CAUSE. The CURE is to get rid of the fat buildup by radical diet change. A "low fat" diet, usually 20-38%, is NOT going to do diddly squat to get rid of the clog. 7% did the trick for me. Closer to NO fat as NO: dairy, butter, oils, eggs, meats

[Matt Gruber]

FIRST time 100% NO stick to baking sheets
added just 1/2 tablespoon flax seed that i grind, to 2 cups of flour. So there is a tiny bit of fat from the flax, BUT mostly omega 3, the GOOD kind of necessary fat. Omega 3 is well known for reducing inflammation.
Perfecting my baking method:
Bottom rack:
on 5 minutes
off 5
on 4
off 5
on 1.5 min.
sit 1 hour off, then crunch away
Found out that on my 7% fat, i can eat 200-500 extra calories a day from pasta, chips, and rolls, and NOT gain weight so a little more flax fat, 2%, should be fine since i am trying to add muscle.

[Matt Gruber]

So i'm not real pleased with the way wheat flour is processed in the US. It is BLEACHED with a chemical. Does not sound healthy, but it may or may not be unhealthy. The EU does not allow bleaching, so this raises a red flag for me. Stores do sell more expensive unbleached flour, so this is another red flag.
I do like they way they make pasta. Not bleached, and it is coarsely ground. Scientific studies show blood glucose levels are more steady with pasta vs. bread, as the pasta takes more time to digest.
So today i tried 1/4 cup pasta, with 1/4 cup oats, and it cooked fine in 3.5 minutes in the microwave. I let it stand for 15-25 minutes to cool. Added a little jam, same amount i'd usually put on 1/2 a roll. TASTES GREAT! So no need to make rolls, as the pasta is less work, and possibly more healthy
edit: will be buying some more gold medal bread flour, the one i've used for the past 20 years. It rises better, and is UNbleached. so it is worth the extra cost.

[Matt Gruber]

Made FLAT bread. 2 1//8 cups of flour 1t yeast 1/2TB ground flax, 1/4t ginger 1t sugar (to help the yeast).
Just rolled it out on one 11x15 pan. let it rise for 2 hrs . Baked 30 min at 350. the outer 1" made great crunchy bread sticks, the rest rose enough to slice
Need some bread for the expected 2 day power failure from Dorian. NOT planning to use my 2 solar panels as i don't need to run the freezer (i don't eat meat or ice cream anymore). Will pre-cook some potatoes, corn, carrots, and broccoli
Have canned food if past 2 days

[Matt Gruber]

here is the easiest way to make bread, with no mixer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQtsvPlE7w8
i'm going to try a "dutch oven" by turning a cookie sheet over my flat bread, and no water in pans.
His trick w/1/4t yeast is to let it sit for 8-24hrs. the yeast has time to grow

[Matt Gruber]

Going back to making rolls until i use up this gold medal bread flour. not pleased with my 1st try of flat bread in a fake dutch oven the problem may be my old yeast, so i'm not being critical of the video. 1st rise was good, but then it was too low. even 3 hours later still edible, just not something i want to try anytime soon (maybe w/fresh yeast)

[Matt Gruber]

Made some changes to the rolls-
2 sheets instead of 3; still 15 rolls, but oval shape, with the goal of being taller.
10.5 oz water, preheated- was 11 oz cool. goal of less sticky and better rise.
no salt, was 1t. not sure rolls really need to be salty.
Rotated hot sheets in oven halfway thru- goal of not having 1 overdone roll as usual.
1t yeast, was 1 heaping t - goal of having a pound of yeast last months longer (in freezer). yeast is 2 years old
2nd rise time reduced to 30-60min. goal of less waiting(was 2-3 hours).
came out GREAT! rise was best that i can remember - i think no salt had the most benefit. i've seen salt impair the rise before. can always sprinkle salt on the cut open roll, if needed.
has very consistent "crumb" no big air bubbles, very professional looking, and tasting
Thanks for reading Now go make some chips or rolls

[Matt Gruber]

Todays experiment was to add 1/2t yeast to the chip mix. let sit for 1/2 hour and bake as with the chips. came out more like a cracker, as you can put jam on it and bite into it. whereas the chips are so stiff, it is best to break them up with your hands. i think i like the chips better, except when they are a little too thick, then they are a jawbreaker
anybody bake anything? it is a lost art. Great hobby; fresh baked anything is hard to resist

[Harold in CR]

To make the rolls taller, bunch them slightly together so they just touch. I specialize in chocolate chip cookies. My wife is addicted to them . Keeps me out of the dog house.

[Matt Gruber]

To make the rolls taller, bunch them slightly together so they just touch. I specialize in chocolate chip cookies. My wife is addicted to them . Keeps me out of the dog house.

i'll try that on my next batch
.
as for my chips, i prefer them to crackers. so i'm going to try a little more water. stiff dough is hard to roll out.
but too much water makes it sticky, so we will see ...........