I have had a love hate relationship with bread for years. I love bread. Period. No exclamation point actually. I’ve gone through phases of just going for it and eating as much bread as I’ve wanted, to the opposite – removing all bread from my diet. I found out two years ago that I have issues digesting gluten. When I did test of removing all gluten from my diet, I was able to breathe better, sleep better, digest food better, the list goes on. I digress. This bread has changed my life.
This recipe produces a dense, delicious loaf of bread, and it is extremely easy to make. It is gluten free and vegan, and is great for digestion. I saw the original recipe on Sarah Britton’s food blog My New Roots and have been making this recipe for about a year now.
This loaf uses whole grains, nuts, and seeds. It is high in protein. It is incredibly high in fiber. Everything gets soaked for optimal nutrition and digestion. There is no flour in this recipe, how you ask? The answer is psyllium seed husks. Psyllium seed husks are one of nature’s most absorbent fiber, able to suck up over ten times their weight in water. The idea here is to use psyllium to bind all these delicious ingredients together without resorting to flour. I’ve made tweaks from the original recipe based on my particular favorite seeds. I suggest you do the same.
Life Changing Bread
1 hour cook time – Yields 1 loaf
Ingredients
• 1 cup (135 g) sunflower seeds
• ½ cup (90 g) flax seeds
• ½ cup (65 g) hazelnuts or almonds
• 1½ cups (145 g) rolled oats
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 4 tbsp psyllium seed husks (or 3 tbsp psyllium husk powder)
• 1 tsp fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp if using coarse salt)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee
• 1½ cups (350 ml) water
Instructions
Resting time 2 hours
In a flexible, silicon loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it.
Preheat oven to 175°C. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the oven rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!
As I mentioned above, I make tweaks to the recipe. I use honey instead of maple syrup. I use more sunflower seeds and add pumpkin seeds into the mix too – just cause I love them.
Susy Sedano is a Content Producer at Digital Wellness, a fitness enthusiast and an avid cook of healthy meals. She prides herself on creating healthy dishes for family and friends, and is always on the hunt for new workouts and recipes! Despite her hectic non-stop work and fitness schedules, she is a “girl’s girl” and a student of life!
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