At the Monastery we are always experimenting with new recipes and ways to bring improved nutrition into our lives. These bodies provide us with the opportunity to practice and offer Practice. It is a joy to care for them as a thank you to Life! One of the newer additions to the menu includes a bread that is free of grains and gluten. This absolutely delicious gluten-free bread is protein rich. It makes a beautiful small loaf of bread which is also a feast for the eyes. We enjoy it during an evening meal with a bowl of hot soup or a spread like hummus. It is our delight to share it with you.
In gassho,
Sequoia
Grain-free Almond Bread
--meghantelpner.com
Ingredients
½ cup organic yogurt
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2½ cups whole raw almonds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup arrowroot starch
2¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3 large eggs, or 2 servings of chia paste (1 tbsp. ground chia seed and ¼ cup warm water. Let sit for five minutes or so.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (sprinkled on top)
1 tsp. rock salt (sprinkled on top)
Preheat the oven to 325. Grease a pan. Works best if you line with parchment paper after greasing.
Mix together yogurt and cider vinegar and set aside.
Grind almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds in a food processor, coffee grinder or high-speed blender until you have a fine meal. Transfer to a bowl and stir in starch, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients – eggs or chia paste, yogurt/cider vinegar mix, and oil. Add the dry ingredients and mix until there are no lumps, but don’t over-mix. Pour into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle sesame seeds and rock salt on top.
Bake for about 45 – 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the bread feels firm when you press down. Allow bread to sit for about five minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
The bread is best stored, wrapped, in the fridge.