Mar 14

Mar 14 Life-Giving Nut & Seed Bread

This bread is so delicious, nourishing and extremely simple to make. It contains no flour, only nuts, seeds, and oats, with chia seeds and psyllium husk added to boost the fiber and act as a binder. There’s a little oil, sweetener of your choice, salt, and whatever herbs or spices you’ve got a taste for (I rotate between rosemary, fennel seeds, and caraway). The ingredients are mixed with some water, set in a parchment lined bread pan for a few hours or overnight, then baked. Once you’ve got the ingredients, making the bread is easy as can be. The slices are irresistible when toasted, they’re great with sweet or savory toppings and add plenty of protein and fiber to any meal.

I discovered this recipe in 2016 on the My New Roots blog, while searching for recipes to satisfy my craving for bread and baked goods while trying to improve my health (which had recently declined due to stress and overwork). You can get a glimpse into that transformational moment in my life in the original post on my 2009-2016 blog Tagan’s Kitchen… a time that led to the start of this podcast and website. Nine years later in the midst of rising facism and political attacks on so many in our communities, I find myself returning to these nourishing recipes and practices to sustain the wellbeing of my self, my family and community yet again….

Life-giving Nut & Seed Bread

Adapted from www.mynewroots.org

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups rolled oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. herb/spices such as fennel or caraway seeds or chopped fresh rosemary (optional)*
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp. neutral oil (I use avocado or sunflower or even ghee)
1 ½ cups water

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Add maple syrup, oil and water 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).

2. Line a bread pan with parchment paper, foil or use a silicone pan. Pour all of the nut mixture into the pan and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon or spatula. 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 it.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.

4. 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 rack and bake for another 40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).

5. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days or in the fridge for up to two weeks. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

*NOTE: you can add any herb or spices to this bread, but may need to adjust the quantity depending on the spice/herb and if it is dried or fresh.