Seed & Nut Loaf

Gluten Free | Dairy Free | Vegan

I have been making this Seed & Nut Loaf for years. It’s a great gluten free replacement for your stock standard bread that you find in your supermarket. I love making this recipe on a Sunday, so it’s ready for the week ahead. As soon as it exits the oven, I quickly slice it and spread with butter, then sprinkle with sea salt. So simple, but so good.

Now the hero of the recipe is psyllium husks; a soluble fibre that has the ability to form a gel in the presence of water. It’s the reason the loaf can be held together without the presence of eggs and flour. Psyllium is high in fibre which can help keep you regular (or ​aleviate constipation), regulates cholesterol and blood sugar levels and has prebiotic effects. Psyllium can be found in the health food isle of your supermarket.

Serves 15

Preparation time: 10 minutes + 1 hour proving

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cup quinoa flakes

¾ cup almonds, chopped

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup pumpkin seeds ½ cup flax seeds

¼ cup currants

¼ cup hemp hearts

2 tablespoons chia seed

1 teaspoon sea salt (add ½ teaspoon if using coarse salt)

1 ½ cups (350ml) water

4 tablespoons psyllium seed husks (3 tablespoons if using psyllium husk powder)

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Method

Preheat oven to 180° C. Spray and a standard loaf pan (add dimensions) with olive oil spray.

Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Place the psyllium seed husks into a large glass with the water. Stir the husk through and leave it for 2 minutes to form a gel like consistency.

Add the maple syrup, coconut oil and water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable).

Spoon the loaf mixture into the pan and smooth it out with a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for 1 hour to allow the ingredients to mesh together.

Place the loaf pan in the oven for 1 hour, before turning the temperature down to 150° C and cooking for another 15 minutes. Ensure you check the loaf after 40 minutes to ensure the top of the loaf isn’t becoming too golden brown. If so, cover the pan with foil.

Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on a cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool before slicing it into approximately 15 slices. You don’t want to slick it too thin or it may crumble.

Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Top with your favourite spread or fresh tomato, avocado and feta.

Note: You can use oats instead of quinoa flakes if you’re not sensitive to gluten.

You can place the loaf in the freezer for up to 3 weeks; ensure slice before freezing so you can take appropriate number of slices out for toasting. I’d toast the loaf on a sandwich press rather than a toaster, as the loaf may burn due to the currants,