Okay, so: Adventure Bread. This bread is seriously an adventure. It is an adventure because it's going to ask you to boldly go where you have never gone before: to a bread with no grains in it whatsoever.
The difference between a grain and a seed may seem like splitting hairs, but they are not botanically equivalent: a seed contains the embryonic plant, while a grain is actually a fruit, containing the seed, seed coat and whatever fleshy bits the grain happens to have.
Credit where credit is due: here is the original recipe, and a variation, before I show you MY variation.
Note - you can seriously replace almost anything in this recipe with almost anything else that looks the same / has the same texture. You could easily replace millet with quinoa, walnuts with almonds, whatever you like. And that is part of what makes this recipe so awesome.
The resulting 'bread' is hearty, moist, and eminently toastable. I cut it to about 1 or 1 1/2 inch thickness and wrap individually before freezing; it should make dozens of slices. Then, I take it right out of the freezer and toast it at nearly the highest setting, and it cooks a bit more, releasing a delicious, roasted-nuts smell, and crisping the edges.
It goes great with nut butter, eggs, anything you'd put on a sandwich, basically. I added thinly-sliced avocado and chunky salt a few times, and it was heaven.
Well, without further ado:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Roasting the nuts and seeds -
Forming the loaf -
I usually have some in the freezer, and have just run out, so in a day or two I'm going to make some more. At that time, I'll try to remember to snap some pictures.
Despite the ten steps, this is a really simple recipe I can manage on all but my worst days. It takes very little doing, no physical strength (no rolling, etc, like some bread doughs), it doesn't need to really rise, and it's hard to screw up and have to start from scratch.
I should say that I use all the mass measurements rather than the volume measurements. I think the bread turns out tastier that way.
Have fun!
-J
The difference between a grain and a seed may seem like splitting hairs, but they are not botanically equivalent: a seed contains the embryonic plant, while a grain is actually a fruit, containing the seed, seed coat and whatever fleshy bits the grain happens to have.
Credit where credit is due: here is the original recipe, and a variation, before I show you MY variation.
Note - you can seriously replace almost anything in this recipe with almost anything else that looks the same / has the same texture. You could easily replace millet with quinoa, walnuts with almonds, whatever you like. And that is part of what makes this recipe so awesome.
The resulting 'bread' is hearty, moist, and eminently toastable. I cut it to about 1 or 1 1/2 inch thickness and wrap individually before freezing; it should make dozens of slices. Then, I take it right out of the freezer and toast it at nearly the highest setting, and it cooks a bit more, releasing a delicious, roasted-nuts smell, and crisping the edges.
It goes great with nut butter, eggs, anything you'd put on a sandwich, basically. I added thinly-sliced avocado and chunky salt a few times, and it was heaven.
Well, without further ado:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (5 ounces / 145 grams) sunflower seeds
- 1 cup (3.5 ounces / 100 grams) walnuts
- 1/3 cup (2 ounces / 60 grams) buckwheat groats
- 1/3 cup (2 ounces / 60 grams) millet seed
- 2 1/4 cups (6.75 ounces / 195 grams) GF rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (3 ounces / 85 grams) flax seed
- 1/3 cup (1 ounce / 30 grams) psyllium powder
- 1/4 cup (1.25 ounces / 35 grams) chia seed
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt (little bits of extra saltiness make it taste awesome.)
- 2 tablespoons (1.25 ounces by weight / 40 grams) molasses
- 1/4 cup (1.5 ounces by weight / 45 grams) coconut oil, melted; or 1 stick butter substitute, such as earth balance
- 2 3/4 cups water
Directions:
Roasting the nuts and seeds -
- First, set your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take a large baking dish or cookie sheet and lay out all of your nuts and seeds (minus the oats) and put in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until you can smell a sort of 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire' scent.
3. Meanwhile, begin mixing the other dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. When your seeds are done roasting, add these to the dough.
5. Add the wet ingredients (water and molasses).
4. When your seeds are done roasting, add these to the dough.
5. Add the wet ingredients (water and molasses).
Forming the loaf -
6. Get a small loaf pan and line it with parchment paper; pour the dough into the pan.
7. Dampening your fingers as necessary, pat the mixture into a loaf shape. However smooth you make it now is how smooth it will be coming out of the oven.
8. Wait a few hours for it to congeal. (Though you really don't have to, in my experience. I've put it in the oven straightaway and it turns out just fine.)
Baking the loaf -7. Dampening your fingers as necessary, pat the mixture into a loaf shape. However smooth you make it now is how smooth it will be coming out of the oven.
8. Wait a few hours for it to congeal. (Though you really don't have to, in my experience. I've put it in the oven straightaway and it turns out just fine.)
9. Set the oven to 400 degrees F and cook the bread for about 1 1/2 hours. The bread should be a very dark brown once it is completely cooked, not burnt-looking, but not as light-colored as other bread, either.
10. Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan (an hour or two.)
Slice it and freeze! 10. Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan (an hour or two.)
I usually have some in the freezer, and have just run out, so in a day or two I'm going to make some more. At that time, I'll try to remember to snap some pictures.
Despite the ten steps, this is a really simple recipe I can manage on all but my worst days. It takes very little doing, no physical strength (no rolling, etc, like some bread doughs), it doesn't need to really rise, and it's hard to screw up and have to start from scratch.
I should say that I use all the mass measurements rather than the volume measurements. I think the bread turns out tastier that way.
Have fun!
-J
