Foodie Friday: Life Changing Bread

Okay, so maybe it won’t change your life, but your taste buds will thank you, as will your gut! I ran across this recipe on Pinterest and have made it a few times. One of the things I love about it is how easy it is to customize. It’s also a no-rise bread, so you don’t have to worry if your yeast is still good. But there is a setting period that you will want to plan for when making a loaf of this delicious bread.

I have been having two slices of this bread for breakfast lately, but originally made it before we took a road trip to ABQ. I wanted to have something that was tasty and would hold up well. Traveling with a special diet can be tricky. Sometimes I am limited to peanuts, some types of chips, and fruit, as those are typically the only vegan and gluten free options at gas stations along a route.

Like I said, you can customize this in so many ways. Just make sure that you set aside some time for the loaf to set before baking, and you may want to bake it a little longer, depending on your recipe and oven temperature variance.

• 1 cup sunflower seeds (I use ½-¼ c)
• ½ cup flax seeds (ground is best)
• ½ cup nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, etc)
• 1 ½ cup rolled oats (divided)
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 4 Tbsp psyllium seed husks
• 1 tsp fine sea salt (Himalayan is good)
• 1 Tbsp sweetener of choice (maple syrup, agave, stevia, molasses)
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 1 ½ cups water
• Spices of choice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, etc)
• Fruit of choice (ripe bananas, diced apples, raisins, craisins, etc)
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter (optional, but tasty)

In a food processor, blend 1 cup of oats into a fine powder, then combine all of the dry ingredients. Mix sweetener, oil, and water together in a mixing bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir well. Add in any additional items (fruit, peanut butter, etc). Dough will be thick. Place dough in a silicone loaf pan and set aside for a minimum of 2 hours.

You can tell when the dough is ready for baking by pulling the sides of the pan away. The dough should keep its shape. Preheat oven to 350℉, baking on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove the loaf from baking pan and bake upside down for another 30-40 minutes. The bread is done when the center sounds hollow when tapped. Let bread cool completely before slicing.

What would you add? Feel free to make this recipe your own and let me know how it turns out!