the "life changing loaf of bread" (vegan | gluten-free)

The second I saw a photo of this bread, I knew I had to have it. It's packed with all things nutritious and makes you feel like you just consumed a balanced meal after a slice - not because you're stuffed full, but because it has it all!

Carbs? Check.

Protein? Check.

Healthy fats? Check.

Throw in some veggies and fruit and you have yourself a well-rounded, make-Grandma-proud-meal.

I used whole almonds, which I thought would be difficult to slice, but I was wrong. The oven crisped them up perfectly, so they are quite forgiving when a knife comes their way. The flax seeds got slightly crispy around the sides, and added a nice nutty flavor.

This bread is damn good when it popped into the toasted and slathered in Earth Balance and some jam. This decision created some internal conflict since peanut butter is my go-to spread, but I realized that since the bread is already chock-full of nuts I should really take a sweeter route. Best/worst decision because now I can't be stopped.

 

I first mentioned this bread at the end of last weekend, because it was all I could really think about eating whenever I got hungry. I even made it a home by permanently leaving out a cutting board, serrated knife, and small plate for prepping purposes. The toaster also started to live on the counter, when it's typically stored in the cupboard.

Lastly, I was a little hesitant to pop it out of the pan and straight onto the rack, as instructed after you first bake it for 20 minutes. Don't be scared. I didn't oil my pan first, so I took it out of the oven and ran a butter knife around the edges to loosen it up. That did the trick, and it came right out. I'm so glad too, because it resulted in a crunchy outside texture all around the bread - looove it.

Sarah's Life Changing Loaf of Bread
makes one loaf

You will need:

1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup  flax seeds
½ cup hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 ½ cups water

 How you do:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients, from the sunflower seeds to the salt, in your loaf pan and stir well to thoroughly combine.

2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil and water. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick. You might need to ad a tablespoon or two of water to make it less thick. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.

3. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours.


4. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.

5. 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 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).