OK here's the thing. I've just got this bread maker. The recipes all seem to want ascorbic acid. I know that a lot of ascorbic acid is corn derived, but if I'm using 2 small tablets of possibly corn derived in a 1kg loaf, just how badly can that affect me?

Ditto with 2 tsp sugar for the yeast to feed on. I presume I can give it agave nectar to work on but I'm not sure of the equivalent quantities (and our bread maker seems somewhat sensitive - see below...)

Neither me nor hubbie have noticed any effects from sugar or corn before, and I'm just not sure how far to take this.

P.S. We made our first rye loaf yesterday. I wish I could post a photo for you all to laugh at. It tastes yummy but looks more like half a house brick . I'm guessing there's a knack to this!  

Use lemon juice instead of the ascorbic acid  
1 tbl of agave would be more than enough...( I don´t like sweet bread)

Ryebread will always be more dense than wheat bread
Look at some of the breads on this page..
http://www.breadsetcetera.com/breads.html

Quoted from Squirrel

Neither me nor hubbie have noticed any effects from sugar or corn before, and I'm just not sure how far to take this.

Avoids can do their damage silently and over time.  It is not like allergies, that show their effect quickly.  While it's true that many people have quick reactions from some avoids, there are others that slowly create major diseases with no noticeable indications.  

Remember...in moderation is the key.   And...with time...your body will let you know.

Debra

Every now and then I like to have some avoids, just so I can pay close attention to what specific horrors they unleash upon me.  This allows the true reality of their properties to become really set in my mind.