Hearty, Seedy Gluten Free Bread

I was so thrilled to wake up this summer morning to rain and cooler temperatures, not that I love rain or cooler temperatures in the summer, but it gave me a prime opportunity to turn my oven on. All summer long I have been banned from this wonderful kitchen appliance because it makes our 90 year old home way too hot (we don't have central air). So it's been grill, grill, grill for us the last few months. But oh, this morning I jumped at the first cool breeze blowing through my window to make some gluten free bread that I have been craving!

I admit, I have been a addict to Elana's Pantry for a couple of years and was elated when she came out with her Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook last year. I especially fell in love with her gluten free breads. As a gluten free girl myself, bread seems to be the thing gluten-freers miss when they make the initial conversion. I don't actually crave (grain) bread anymore, but it is nice to have the option of bread- you know- for sandwiches, as toast with eggs, etc.

For this recipe, I started with Elana's Scrumptious Sandwich Bread base recipe, and added/changed a few things to come up with this hearty, seedy version. The star ingredient in this recipe- almonds- are a great nutritional start, packed with protein, fiber, and minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. Then you add the buckwheat flour, also high in protein and fiber, and the flax, pumpkin, and chia seeds, all rich sources of vital essential fatty acids and fiber, and this bread becomes your go-to Super (Wonder) Bread! Even if you are a gluten-ite, try this recipe for sheer nutritional deliciousness.

My favorite ways to eat it are toasted and topped with either goat cheese or pesto. But it does make an amazing sandwich too; use it in place of sprouted grain bread for the Ra-Kel.

Hearty, Seedy Gluten Free Bread

3/4 cup creamy almond butter
4 eggs
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend almond butter and eggs in bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Add in flax, buckwheat, arrowroot, baking soda and salt and continue mixing until smooth. Add pumpkin seeds and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into greased 7 x 3.5 inch glass baking pan (I use the Pyrex brand) and bake 40-45 minutes until slightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool 30-60 minutes in pan before removing. Elana recommends storing the bread wrapped in a paper towel and closed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use within 5-6 days or freeze for up to 3 months.