I know you are most probably saying “A gluten free and Vegan loaf of bread, that actually tastes delicious?” It does sound too good to be true, but believe me there is one out there and its the genius of the very talented Sarah Britton, the Holistic Nutritionist, from My New Roots , who describes it as “The life changing loaf of bread”.
You may wonder how this loaf binds together without flour. The secret is in the super absorbent psyllium husks, natures most absorbent fibres. It binds together all the delicious nuts, seeds and whole grains, making this loaf incredibly high in protein and fibre. The bread does not rise as it has no rising agents, so the size that you see when you put it all together is the size it will be when baked. I suggest you use a small loaf pan in order to make the loaf higher.
As far as I am concerned the best way to eat this bread is toasted. Apart from the amazing nutty smell it imparts while toasting, I love the crunch, its something I can’t resist. One or two tiny slices of this bread will keep you full for hours. I like to slice the whole loaf once it has cooled and I wrap and freeze individual slices, which are so quick and easy to just pop into the toaster.
- 1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
- ½ cup / 90g flax seeds
- ½ cup / 65g hazelnuts or almonds
- 1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp . chia seeds
- 4 Tbsp . psyllium seed husks
- 1 tsp . fine grain sea salt
- 1 Tbsp . maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
- 3 Tbsp . melted coconut oil
- 1 ½ cups / 350ml water
-
Combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together. 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). Press into a small loaf tin ( this does not rise so it will come out the size it is in the tin) and smooth the top of the loaf. Allow to sit on the countertop for at least 2 hours, (I left it overnight)
-
Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
-
Place loaf pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing .
-
Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days.
-
It is great for freezing. Make sure you slice it first and wrap slices individually
29 Comments
Love the look of your loaf! Please let me know if you need to chop up the almonds or do you purchase sliced almonds. thanks so much, Linda
Hi Linda, I think you are going to love this loaf. I used whole almonds, raw without the skins on and with a nice sharp bread knife they cut through beautifully. I am sure it would be fine with sliced almonds as well. Enjoy
Very interesting. I didn’t know that psyllium husks could be a binding agent. I really want to try this recipe. Your pictures are amazing Ev, I can almost feel the crunch between my teeth…
Hi Ratna, I know it is amazing how the psyllium husks pull this loaf together, a great ingredient to think about for some future recipes.
Lovely loaf and recipe! Loved your up close image and the combination with the fresh avocado. Love the way Sarah cooks and bakes. Thanks so much for this recipes, Ev! Enjoy your weekend. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this bread, I know it’s sounds crazy for some people, but I simply love healthy, rustic and nutty loaves. Must be a perfect match with creamy avocados. Beautiful photography, as always.
Its definitely different to most bread, but for a super healthy alternative its great
Absolutely love this loaf, Ev. Crowning the slices with fresh avocado, basil and arugula leaves would be the perfect pick-me-up lunch for me. Because I add olive oil to everything! I would just drizzle some on top and that’s it. Really inspiring all of your close-ups shots and collage! Thanks for sharing this! xo 🙂
This was absolutely amazing….I’m so happy I found this recipe. Nice breakfast alternative to my usual smoothies.
So glad you have tried this, it is very filling as well as nutritious
I’m in the middle of making this recipe… But I only have still cut oats. Can I substitute? Thanks! I’m really excited to try it!
Hi Alice, I only ever use rolled oats, but I am sure you can use steel cut oats. The difference between rolled and steel cut oats is that while both contain whole grain oats, they are processed differently. Rolled oats are steamed, rolled, steamed again and toasted, ending up as thin flakes. Steel cut oats are made from oat kernels that have been chopped into thick pieces. Hope that helps and that your loaf turns out to be fabulous.
Hi! I am from Argentina. And I am not sure to finde psyllium and maple syrup imposible. Any idea how to replace them??
Hi Elena you can use any syrup – it does not need to be maple syrup but I am not sure what you could replace the psyllium husks with. I will give it some research and get back to you as soon as I can.
Hi Elena you can use any syrup – it does not have to be maple syrup. I am not sure what you could replace psyllium husks with . I will do some research and get back to you as soon as I can.
Hi, I always loved nutty bread, made mine today, it ended up slimy while chewing them, whst did I do wrong?
Hi Marie, I am so sorry your bread did not work out. There are a few things that could have caused this bread not to work. Firstly did you use psyllium seed husks and the correct amount? 4 Tablespoons is 60ml. Psyllium seed husks are one of nature’s most absorbent fibres and are able to suck up over ten times their weight in water, so it is imperative that you use the correct amount in this recipe. Plus the oats will absorb the water too. Secondly, did you measure the correct amount of water, and thirdly the mixture has to sit for at least 2 hours for the water to be absorbed into the husks and oats. I prefer to leave it overnight on the shelf so that every bit of water is absorbed.
Hi! LOVE this bread. Turns out great every time I’ve made it. I was wondering if you might have the nutritional info for it?
Thanks!
Hi Wendy, I am so glad you are loving this bread as much as I do. I am sorry I do not have the nutritional info.
Hi, thanks this is a great recipe! However in Australia oats are labelled as containing gluten – due to cropping and processing methods. Is there another substitute?
Hi Trent, I am sorry but I haven’t tried replacing the oats with anything else and I am not qualified to advise you on this one. From what I have read “You can replace the oats in an oatmeal cookie recipe with an equal amount of ground flax, rice bran, quinoa flakes or chia seeds. Ground flax has very little flavour and is likely to produce cookies that taste similar to the recipe with oats, with a slightly grittier texture.” You could perhaps try one of these substitutes. Let me know if it works for you, and thanks for following my blog. Ev
Delicious, definitely recommend making this one. I substituted psyllium husks for flaxmeal, flaxseeds for sesame seeds and a cup of almond meal with half a cup of oats just because I had them in the cupboard. It turned out beautiful despite hoeing into it after the initial 20 minutes cooking time…I should have read instructions more carefully, it’s back in the oven now! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hi Liesl, When you replace psyllium husks with flaxmeal it may make the bread more crumbly. Add a pinch or two of xanthan gum to prevent that from happening if you are unhappy with the final result. Glad you enjoyed it. xxx
Made this loaf a few times now and it’s amazing!! Love all the textures and how easy it is to make.
I usually take a couple slices into work and even my colleagues are jealous. With a bit of vegemite or jam it’s heaven.
Its such a stunning loaf. I love to slice it,freeze, and then toast. The smell of the nuts when it is toasting is sensational. I am so glad you are enjoying it Laura. All the best for a wonderful New Year.
Any suggestions for how to make this without oil?
Hi Lolo, It is only 3 Tablespoons of oil which isn’t a lot. You could try it with apple sauce as a substitute or buttermilk or butter, but haven’t tried that personally. I have just heard that these can be substituted for oil i breadmaking. Hope one of them works for you.
is it possible to substitute rice in place of the oats?
Hi , Im sorry but I am not sure about rice. If you try it, please let me know.