savory chia and flax bread
{vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, nut-free}
Freshly baked gluten and dairy-free bread costs a pretty penny. At my local bakery, it goes for about $7 per loaf. At one point, I was buying 2-3 loaves per week--at least one for our household and more to share with friends and family. After a month or so, I realized I was racking up quite the weekly bread bill!
Strategically, my husband decided to gift me Erin McKenna's Bread and Butter cookbook. Since then, I make (at the least) a weekly loaf, mostly to supplement my avocado toast obsession (more on that here).
This bread captures the hearts of gluten eaters and abstainers alike. It's chewy, hearty and pairs well with nut butters as well as savory dishes like pasta and stew. When I first started making this bread, I had requests to bring it to every dinner party I attended. One week I baked 5 loaves!
Erin McKenna is one of the best, if not the best, gluten/soy/nut/dairy-free (and kosher!) bakers around. Her cookbook created more diversity in my recipes, and, not to mention, saved my wallet! It may seem like a long list of ingredients, but if you are committed to gluten-free baking, then you'll learn more about these ingredients and how to use them frequently in your baking. I personally recommend using a scale if you're a frequent baker (or coffee connoisseur!). For me, it's easier and more accurate than administering the ingredients using measuring cups. Simply put, it's one of the best investments I've ever made. Not sold? Measuring cups will do just fine.
Total: 2 hours 35 minutes | Active time: 5 minutes | Rest: 2 hours | Cook: 30 minutes | Serves 6-8
//Tools//
high quality bread pan that cooks evenly (I use a large Le Creuset loaf pan)
1 small and one medium mixing bowl
measuring cups, or scale
measuring spoons
spatula
//Ingredients//
*2 tablespoons/28 grams unscented coconut oil or olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 cups/339 g warm water (no more than 100 degrees or warm room temperature otherwise it will kill the yeast)
2 tablespoons/44 grams agave nectar
2 1/4 teaspoons/7.2 grams or one store bought packet of active dry yeast
1 cup/140 grams Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
3/4 cup/75 grams gluten-free oat flour
1/4 cup/30 grams teff flour
1/2 cup/60 grams arrowroot
1/3 cup/64 grams potato starch (not potato flour!)
1/4 cup/41 28 grams ground flaxseed (or flax meal)
1/4 cup/41 grams chia seeds
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon/16 grams unsweetened applesauce or grated apple (no skin; I usually use gala or an apple that is not tart)
//Directions//
1. Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil or olive oil.
2. In a small or medium mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and agave nectar. Stir together and let sit for 10 minutes, or until the mixture starts to bubble or foam.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine your flours, arrowroot, potato starch, flaxseed, chia seed, xanthum gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Next, pour in the unscented coconut oil or olive oil, applesauce and yeast mixture. Use a spatula to combine until the mixture is without lumps.
4. Pour the dough into the oiled loaf pan and cover with a dish towel. Allow the mixture to rise for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C for at least 15 minutes. Using a basting brush, brush a thin layer of oil over the top of the bread. When the oven is ready, cook the bread for 20 minutes, and then rotate 180 degrees, and cook for another 15 minutes or until the bread is golden.
6. Allow the bread to cool for at least an hour before serving, or suffer the consequences...not kidding! Slice and enjoy!
//Notes//
*I personally swap olive oil for the coconut oil in most of her recipes, and haven't noticed a difference other than the olive oil is a little less thick than coconut oil. The recipes may seem a bit watery-er as you mix the ingredients, but in the end [in my experience] it all turns out the same.
