Lentil Bread, GF, Vegan

I’ve been craving bread. It’s probably because it’s fall and the coziness of a warm toast with almond butter and herbal honey just sounds so divine and comforting.

Aside from the gf, vegan Seed Bread that I love making, I decided to try this lentil bread due to its high protein content. I know all the benefits of protein, including:

• muscle growth and repair

• feeling full longer and reducing cravings

• for hormone production

• hair, skin, and nails, and so much more!

Protein is especially important as we begin our ascension into our older years as protein can protect from insulin resistance, a common condition women in their perimenopausal years are susceptible to. While I feel like I eat pretty darn balanced, I keep feeling like I’m just not getting enough.

So, this bread, made from lentils is high in protein, and a great addition to a vegetarian or vegan dish or as a high protein snack.

To be transparent though, this bread is dense and tastes earthy, if you catch my drift. So adding butter, honey, olive oil, avocado mash, almond butter, you know the works… is the best way to eat it. 😉 I really love it with butter, almond butter, and honey and it’s a great soup soak too.

P.S. Make sure you soak the lentils overnight before making your bread.

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsps water

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 cup cornstarch, (you can also use tapioca starch)

• 4 tsps ground flax seeds

• 2 3/4 tsps baking powder

method

Preparation (8 hours ahead)

• Rinse lentils thoroughly

• Place in a large bowl

• Cover with water by 2 inches

• Soak for 8 hours or overnight

Before Baking

• Preheat oven to 400°F

• Line a 9x5" with parchment paper and grease it a bit with coconut oil or olive oil

Making the Batter

• Drain soaked lentils

• Blend lentils in a food processor with:

  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil

  • 1 tsp Sea Salt

• Process until smooth, scraping sides as needed. Mine isn’t complete smooth like hummus, but it’s pretty broken down.

Mixing

• Transfer blended mixture to large bowl

• Add and mix thoroughly:

  • 1/2 cup Cornstarch

  • 4 tsps Ground flaxseed

  • 2 3/4 tsps Baking powder

Baking

• Pour batter into prepared pan

• Tap pan to remove air bubbles

• Smooth top surface

• Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Check it at 35-40 minutes as oven temps vary.

• Poke a knife through it, it shouldn’t be wet.

Cooling

• Remove from oven

• Take bread out of pan immediately

• Cool completely before slicing it up.

Storage Options:

• Room temperature: 2 days (wrapped tightly)

• Refrigerated: Up to 10 days (in parchment paper and in a plastic bag or wax paper)

Slightly adapted from Power Hungry