I primarily made this bread for two reasons...one, sometimes it's nice to have a little bit of toast with my eggs on the weekends, and I had just run out of the bagel bread toast I typically make and freeze in individual squares to pull out as needed. I find that I use bread alternatives less and less, but I still like to have them available if the mood should strike. I believe variety is the spice of life! Also, my second reason for making this bread was to see if I can come up with something that hubby might eventually transition over to for sandwiches instead of regular wheat bread. This bread turned out good...and it's neutral enough in taste that you could use it for sweet or savory toppings without clashing. I sliced it thinly, in about 1/4" slices and lightly toasted and buttered it to have with my egg this morning. I really enjoyed it...it just made Sunday breakfast a little more special.
I also enjoyed some fresh blueberries with a big dollop of Greek yogurt mixed with fresh lemon zest. Since it was late when we had breakfast, this should last us until dinner time. While out shopping yesterday, I picked up a small 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" commercial loaf pan (made by Food Network) and it's metal with a corrugated surface that it says is for even baking as well as "easy release". I decided to give it a try -- most of my loaf pans are either nonstick or glass. It worked beautifully for this loaf and did not stick whatsoever. I snapped a few photos of the bread below, as well as some pictures of my breakfast. I posted the bread recipe below, too. Enjoy!
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| Voila! |
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| Sometimes a girl just wants a little toast with her eggs! |
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| BOOM! |
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| This is what the loaf pan looked like...it's corrugated (ridges all over) |
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| Dough is spread in the pan and ready to pop in the oven... |
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| Fresh out of the oven... |
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| The slicing has begun... |
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| Here's a closer peek... |
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| One last look... |
Almond Flax Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted roasted almond butter (I used MaraNatha, creamy)
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ground golden flax
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon Swerve (I used confectioners style)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a metal 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan with oil. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix all ingredients until well combined. Spoon batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for approximately 30 to 33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 3 to 5 minutes; lightly run a knife around the outer edges of pan to loosen and flip onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing. Slice with a sharp serrated knife.
Wow this looks so wonderful, I am trying it very so. Today for lunch I made your pizza with a topping of sautéed zucchini, cheese and some sliced leftover spicy sausage that I has hanging around. I just love to gather whatever is in need of using up and make something yummy. I love your pizza crust and I will tell you my kids and hubby devoured it as usual. Thanks so much for all you do. Maria
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maria! So glad you like the pizza crust! Out of all the things I have created, that probably is the one single item that really helped me survive the early days of eliminating wheat. I was so happy to be able to have pizza that I actually liked and to feel "normal". Your pizza toppings sound delicious! It is a nice way to use up what needs to be used as well as those little odds and ends, etc. Glad your hubby and kids enjoyed it, too! Thanks so much for the kind comments! :-)
ReplyDeleteI also made the pizza crust for the first time last night and used buffalo mozzarella, black olives, baby bella mushrooms and Apple Gate uncured pepperoni (from Whole Foods) ... it was divine!!! Zucchini sticks are in the oven as I type this. Although they don't look as "breaded" as your pic ... I will have to wait until they are done to see. I had a hard time getting enough "breading" to stick. Thanks for the great recipes to help us transition to gluten/wheat free.
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious!! What is Swerve?? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi there! Swerve is a granular or confectioners style sweetener primarily made from erythritol (a sugar alcohol, therefore the carbs are not counted/digested). Here is a link (it's one of my favorite sweeteners and it measures like sugar so easy to use in recipes): http://www.swervesweetener.com/store/
ReplyDeleteHi Ryder -- your pizza sounds delicious, too! When you bread the zucchini sticks, try to shake off as much excess egg/oil mixture as possible -- otherwise the crumb mixture gets too wet/damp and doesn't stick as nicely. I hope they turn out good for you! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi GGC,
ReplyDeleteI just bought that same big jar of almond butter from Costco and wondered how I was going to use all that. :-) Well, now I know ... this bread looks great. I'll have to wait just a bit to make it, though, as I'm fresh out of eggs!
Hi CyberSis! It is a big jar, isn't it! It is such a great price -- a jar half that size in my local grocery store costs twice as much or more. Yes, it would be a good way to help you use it up! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, I wanted to try and make some gluten/wheat free breads. I've made your almond bread, pretty good. But, I'm trying for a more savory type bread. Just wondering if you had just a plain flax bread recipe?
ReplyDeleteThanks. Much appreciate your time and recipes.
suzanne
Hi Suzie! I have made a cheesy herbed baguette bread that I would consider savory. I liked it, although it is a little trickier to make (since it is rolled). I would suggest reducing the water by 2 teaspoons the first time you make it if you decide to try it -- that might make it easier to roll up. I need to go back and make it again to see if there are any ways I can tweak it to make it a bit easier to roll up for people so even less experienced bakers/cooks can make it easily too. So, try reducing the water by the extra 2 teaspoons to see if the dough is any easier for you to work with. The link is below:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gourmetgirlcooks.com/2012/10/easy-cheesy-herbed-baguette-bread-grain.html
Hi GGC,
ReplyDeleteI made the baguette a couple of weeks ago and had really good luck with it. I used the parchment paper to roll it with and it worked great. A fun bread to make.
Hi CyberSis! Glad you enjoyed the the Baguette bread! I, too, found it easier to roll with parchment paper, although the first time I made it, I used a rubber spatula and coaxed it over. You know I feel so dumb for not using parchment paper years ago. I'm not really sure why I didn't try it or use it years ago!!! I need to make the baguette again soon. :-)
ReplyDeleteThis bread looks so dang good! Any chance peanut butter could be used instead of almond butter?
ReplyDeleteHi Luana! I think you could make it using any kind of nut butter -- someone told me they were going to try pecan butter! :-)
ReplyDeletei made the almond flax bread today, w/RAW almond butter. i had it lightly toasted w/butter, along w/egg for breakfast, and again for dinner, lightly toasted w/spritz of EVOO and some herbs. it was ok but rather bland for my taste. i think i would prefer using it for a sandwich. i want to try the bagel bread next.
ReplyDeletemy question: what about storage? should i refrigerate what i will use in next few days, and freeze the rest?
also, storage question re choc chip ricotta cookies. is it ok to leave them out, or should they be refrigerated? in general, what are storage guidelines for all breads, cookies?
thanks much.
Hi Samdra! It depends on how long you plan to keep the baked goods out. I usually do not freeze the cookies, but I did slice and freeze the almond-flax bread. After slicing, I placed a small piece of wax paper in between each slice and wrapped the loaf in foil. The wax paper made it easy to separate the slices when I want to pull one out. It is a bland/plain bread and probably best for sandwich bread or if you want a plain buttered piece of toast (w/ eggs, etc.). I do want to try it toasted with maybe flavored cream cheese (like whipped cream cheese w/ chives, etc.). If you make the bagel bread, I just keep maybe a day's worth out and freeze that too and take it out as I need it because I don't eat it every day. Since there are no preservatives like store bought breads, it is probably best to freeze them and remove as you use it. The bread is moist and could get moldy easy (especially in a warm/humid climate). I have not frozen the cookies though because those usually don't last more than one week -- but if yours will, you might want to at least refrigerate them. Regarding the bread, I think maybe it might need a bit more salt and will add more when I make it next time to see if that improves it and gives more flavor. If you want a more flavorful type of "bread"...the Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits I made a couple of days ago taste really good -- especially with eggs for breakfast. Hope this helps. Thanks. :-)
ReplyDeletei had to laugh at idea of cookies lasting more than a week!! i'm hard pressed not to devour them all in 2 days!! i'm trying just leaving them out but it's very humid here, so will refrigerate if there's an issue.
ReplyDeleteas for bread, i had some w/butter AND almond butter...maybe overkill but very tasty! i will try adding more salt next time as well. also thought about possibly adding some herbs.
bought some sharp cheddar today, w/plan to make the biscuits. they sound delish.
i'm spreading the word about your blog/recipes. thanks so much.
Hi Samudra! So glad you are enjoying it -- while it isn't anything special by itself...it does make a good "platform" for spreading or topping with other tasty things -- like your almond butter and butter! So glad you are enjoying the blog -- hope you like the biscuits, too when you make them! I had another one with an egg for my breakfast this morning, too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi GGC,
ReplyDeleteWe had this with dinner yesterday and really liked it. You end up with a nice loaf for very little effort! The flavor is "neutral," as you say, without being too bland, and it has a nice texture. I only had "extra-large" eggs, but instead of trying to figure out how much egg to remove, I just used all three and it worked just fine! We had some for toast this a.m. and really enjoyed it with breakfast (I sprinkled mine with a little cinnamon.) My hubby even liked it! I sliced and froze the remainder as you suggested ... very convenient.
I can think of all kinds of uses for this bread ... tuna sandwiches come to mind at the moment. And *toast* of course!
Happy baking! :-)
Hi CyberSis! Glad you liked it -- I agree, it makes a nice "device" to use as toast or putting other tasty stuff on it. And while I don't need to eat "bread" any more...sometimes I want something like a piece of toast at breakfast, etc. Glad you enjoy it too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi GGC,
ReplyDeleteToday we went to a Lebanese restaurant for lunch. I used to *adore* their freshly baked pita, which they bring out to you as soon as you sit down! When we went in we asked that they not bring any to our table. The meal was wonderful without it, of course, but I was feeling a little "nostalgic" for the bread.
Later this evening we had a light supper and I pulled a slice of the Almond Flax Bread out of the freezer and zapped it a few seconds in the microwave. It was great, just like fresh-baked with that same nice texture ... and it took care of that little bit of "nostalgia"! :-)
Hi CyberSis! I have found that it is nice having it in the freezer just to pull out a slice like you did when the mood strikes. (By the way...I LOVE hot pita bread...and Lebanese food). Glad you had your bread in the freezer, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteDo you have a link for the bread pan you bought? I would like to find a new one in this size.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the storage tips here too. I don't need them for cookies though!!! :)
Hi bcat! Yes...here's the link for the pan I bought. If you have a Kohls nearby, they have them in the store -- otherwise you can order it: http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-661861/food-network-loaf-pan.jsp
ReplyDeleteP.S. -- LOL about needing storage tips for cookies! :-)
Thanks! We do have a Kohl's.....about 40 mi. away. I will check on next trip that way. Do you think it is the same as this pan? http://www.wayfair.com/USA-Pans-1-lb.-Loaf-Pan-with-Americoat-1140LF-USP1010.html
ReplyDeleteDimensions look the same for 1 lb. loaf pan.
Thank you GGC! I just made this bread and enjoyed it very much. I appreciate that you have done the hard work of trying everything out, taking pictures, and posting everything so nicely for us. I look forward to making more of your recipes. I have only been wheat free for a week but your blog helps a lot! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anonymous! So glad you enjoyed it. I wish you lots of success on your wheat free journey and hope you find some recipes here to help get you through. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it and your kind words, too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi GGC,
ReplyDeleteGuess what ... the almond butter is back at our Costco. Yay! I bought two jars today and we'll be enjoying this bread again. The only disappointment is that they've gone to plastic jars. I try to get stuff in glass whenever possible ... but it seems to be going the way of the dinosaurs!
Hi CyberSis! Thanks for the tip -- I will look for it when I go back this weekend. I didn't even check this past weekend because they were out of it earlier. You would think since so many people are concerned about plastics, etc. that glass would become more popular with at least the "health foods", if nothing else. I need to make another loaf of it too -- I have one last jar of almond butter in my pantry...and hope I can restock at Costco, too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi GG, our Costco said that they will discontinue the A-butter, so I bought 4 jars,(still in glass jars).
ReplyDeleteto change to plastic is a crime, I am sure that they are not using BPA free plastic . I usually transfer to glass jars, no wonder I never have enough time!
Your pizza crust is so good, I made it for the first time !
Thank you! Stay cool!Barbara.
Baked this bread last night. I had unsalted "crunchy" almond butter on hand, so I was a bit worried it might change the consistency. It came out perfect and delicious! Another keeper! :)
ReplyDelete~Cindy
Hi Cindy! That's good to know that the crunchy version of almond butter didn't change the consistency of the bread! Sometimes the only way we find these things out is to try them and keep our fingers crossed! Glad you enjoyed it! :-)
ReplyDelete