I love bread.
Especially toast. It's one of life's great joys!
However, too much wheat doesn't sit well in my tummy and I end up feeling bloated and lethargic. A little bit now and then I can handle, but mostly I try to avoid it- and I feel SO much better!
Many people have this problem with wheat and other foods containing gluten (also rye and barley). Luckily there are many, wonderful alternatives to your standard gluten-filled foods.
Gluten free breads can really be a sore point for people because some are truly terrible.
There are many brands out there now that make the 'light and fluffy' white bread style of gluten free. While these are OK as an occasional treat, they don't provide much nutrition at all.
Personally, I love a dense, filling bread. This recipe is just that. It's wonderfully nourishing when toasted or pan-fried in a little olive oil and sea salt (delish!)
You can really mix any combo of gluten-free grains here. Every time I make this bread it's always slightly different depending on what I have on hand. Sometimes it works better than others (but that's the fun of experimenting in the kitchen). The recipe below is a great starting point.
Enjoy :)
Ingredients:
3 cups soaked brown rice (for 6-12 hours, depending on your patience and organisation)
6 cups soaked buckwheat (also for 6-12 hours)
2 cans of chickpeas, drained well (I have used dried chickpeas in the past and have soaked them for 6-12 hours)
1/2 cup water (or thereabouts, to blend the grains into a mixture)
5 tbsp quinoa flour
2 tbsp chia seeds
(makes 2 loaves)
Method:
Soak your grains in separate bowls for 6-12 hours. You can also wait until the grains sprout (more like 24-48 hours) if you're keen to make a sprouted bread for the extra nutritional benefits.
Because there is quite a lot of grain to deal with, I blend half at a time. You will need a high powered blender for this recipe (I use a Vitamix).
Blend the rice, buckwheat and chickpeas in the blender with the water. I like to leave the mix slightly chunky because it gives the bread a better texture.
Pour the blender mix into a bowl and stir in the quinoa flour and chia seeds.
Line two loaf tins with baking paper and coat with olive oil to avoid sticking. Divide your mix into the tins and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 2 hours.
Allow to cool for 30 min before slicing.
This bread can be frozen, so make a big batch to last you for a while.
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