Definitely NOT bread!

I’m not a bread hater. In fact there’s no food I absolutely eschew, unless it is just full of chemicals and bad stuff.  There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baking bread, and there is definitely a time and place for richly fragrant brioches and croissants or granary rolls and rye bread. It all has a place. However, for my friends who are gluten intolerant, or for a slice of goodness upon which to place your yummies, this is hard to beat. It is really easy to make and requires no skill or delicacy in the handling.

Psyllium seed husks, are portions of the seeds  of a native plant of India and Pakistan. They are hygroscopic , which allows them to expand and become mucilaginous, which means simply that they are brilliant for binding moisture and making these bread ingredients stick together.

Psyllium seed husk are indigestible and are a source of soluble dietary fibre, so they are very good for colon health. There is talk that they are good for lowering cholesterol. You can most often find this ingredient in health food shops in pill form. You do need it here in powdered form. 

Chia seeds are hydrophilic, absorbing up to 12 times their weight in liquid when soaked. I also add chia to my smoothies and have used it as an egg substitute. They, together with the psyllium seed husks are what allow this delicious “not bread” to stick together and be sliceable.

Makes 1 loaf

1 cup (115g) quinoa flour

½ cup (90g) flaxseed meal

½ cup (70g) sunflower seeds

1 cup almonds (160g)

1.5 cups (160g) pumpkin seeds

2.5 cups (600ml) water

2 tbsp chia seeds

3 tbsp psyllium seed husks

1 heaped tsp salt

Method

Grind the almonds, and pumpkin seeds in food processor until you have bread crumb-like flour. Tip into a roomy bowl and add all the other ingredients except the water. Mix thoroughly.

Add the water and mix quite quickly and completely. You should end up with a stiff mixture. I mean really stiff.  Empty into loaf pan and really press it down until you are sure there are no spaces. A silicone pan is very good here, though I have had great success with a disposable foil pan.

Leave in cool place for minimum of 1 hour but overnight is fine. You’ll know its ready when you can pull away the sides of the loaf pan and the dough remains the same shape. Bake in 180°C (350ºF) oven for 30 minutes. Remove and tip loaf out so it is now upside down on a baking sheet and continue cooking for 30 minutes more. If using a silicone loaf pan, just leave it for the full hour in the loaf pan in the oven.

seen here with Callaloo……

 

 

 

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and here supporting sweet peppers cooked with capers….

When it is completely cool I slice quite thinly, but not so thin that the slices are difficult to handle. This loaf can be stored for a week or more in a sealed container or food storage bag in the fridge.

Eaten fresh from the oven is delicious, but toasted through the week is how we usually enjoy this.

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7 Comments

  • Reply
    Nut butter | Sun Temple Food
    February 19, 2014 at 3:27 pm

    […] these lovely smooth butters on Definitely Not Bread or add them to your smoothies or chop up a piece of fruit and add a little dollop with each bite. […]

  • Reply
    Emma Charlton
    July 16, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    Yikes! Nowhere cool to put my lovely loaf in the good ol’ U of K today !!!

    • Reply
      Germaine
      July 17, 2014 at 6:53 am

      We’d love to see a photo. Glad you’ve made it.

  • Reply
    Stewed figs and goat’s cheese | Sun Temple Food
    July 20, 2014 at 7:55 am

    […] a few slices of “Definitely NOT bread“ […]

  • Reply
    Finola Prescott
    July 20, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    wow…will try – no raising agents?

    • Reply
      Germaine
      July 20, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      No raising agents. This is a very dense, satisfying bread chocked full of nuts and seeds and quinoa. A small slice of this bread suffices…

      • Reply
        Finola
        July 22, 2014 at 12:02 pm

        love it!

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