I know that for a lot of people one of the hardest things to give up when following a low carb lifestyle is bread. It’s like a comfort blanket that is really hard to be let go of. For me, it’s never been something I’ve craved or missed too much (however, let’s not get started on my chocolate vice!).
When I did eat bread, I used to love a slice or three of rye bread. It was something about the texture of it, that nuttiness and comforting chew. However, it still gave me awful bloating when ever I ate it and I still ended up with high blood sugars which needed crazy amounts of insulin. Needless to say I steer very clear of bread full stop and would rather opt for nothing than encounter a high sugar!
I regularly get emailed by readers asking what I eat with soup? The truth is, I am usually so full up that I don’t need an accompaniment. That’s NOT to say that I am the perfect size 10, seed eating yoga babe who “gets filled up on a bowl of broth”….no way! Trust me when I’m hungry, I eat. I will have a big bowl of soup, most of which are root vegetable based, and indeed will fill you up and keep you full. If you really need an accompaniment for fear of fading away, then why not boil / poach an egg or toast some almonds or have half an avocado on the side with sea salt. Add as many good fats to your diet as you can as fat will keep you feeling full and will give you a valuable source of sustainable energy.
Indeed, I have a few bread recipes on this blog, which I have created over the years, but I will say, hand on heart, that I have.finally.cracked.it. If you like the texture of rye bread, then I assure you this is the bread for you. I am even going to go as far as to say that this bread might just have superpowers! It’s easy to toast, packed with super foods and health busting goodness, is great for having as a sandwich, doesn’t crumble, tastes delicious, has flavour, texture and will last for up to 7 days- which most other breads from the supermarket won’t, as they’ll go stale and mouldy. The ones that do last only do as they are so pumped with stabilisers and sugars to keep them from going off! This bread will be the talking point of the table, how does it not have grains in it, and why is there no gluten? Well, my dear friends, this is one recipe you are all going to have to try to report back on!
Why not try it with some left over turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce? or how about a couple of slices, toasted with some scrambled eggs and wok’d sprouts n’ onion? What ever you choose, this bread is to be enjoyed with NO guilt! I like to slice it really thinly, but there are no rules!
In terms of blood sugar impact, I usually take no insulin for a slice of this bread as its LOW CARB, HIGH FAT. If you told me ten years ago that I could enjoy a delicious slice of bread without any insulin I would not have believed you.
If you don’t have some of the ingredients then so long as you replace them gram for gram with a suitable alternative then you should be able to create an equally wonderful bread recipe. The only things that CANNOT be replaced are the coconut oil, eggs and chia as these are what bind the bread together.
- 100g Milled Flaxseed (if you do not have this then so long as you replace with a milled alternative then this will be fine)
- 100g Mixed Seeds (eg a mix of any of the following : pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, linseed, poppy seeds etc)
- 100g Chia seeds
- 200g Ground Almonds
- 1 Cup Water
- ¼ Cup Melted Coconut Oil
- 4 Eggs, Large and beaten
- 1 Tsp Sea Salt
- Pre-heat oven to 180° C / 356°F
- In to a deep mixing bowl place the flaxseed, mix seeds, chia seeds, ground almonds and sea salt and combine with a wooden spoon
- Create a well and pour in coconut oil and beaten eggs, combine until fully mixed in
- Now add in water and combine until you have a thick mixture
- Transfer batter to a loaf tin (I use silicone, but if you use an alternative make sure it's greased)
- Place in to oven for 1 hr until the top is golden and you can put a skewer through it that comes out clean
- Allow to fully cool before serving and before placing in a tin
- Store in an airtight container for up to one week
Do check your bread at 40 minutes through to make sure the top is not burning - you can always add foil to the top of the bread to prevent this
Looks yummy. What milled alternative would you suggest for replacing the flaxseed? Thanks!
Hi Debbie
I would suggest anything milled, it just gives the bread that rustic bread like quality. You could go for milled linseed, milled pumpkin seed, milled sunflower seeds, etc. Here’s a good brand that you can usually pick up in somewhere like Holland and Barrett – http://www.linwoodshealthfoods.com/uk/shop/ Thanks x
I have everything in my pantry except the flaxseed (typical!). Could I used milled sesame as I have a large jar of seeds. Looking forward to making this.
Yes as it will be milled and the same consistency! Good luck and let me know how you go! I’m about to make another loaf now ? X
Just made this loaf and it is pretty tasty, however mine is only a pale gold and not as dark as yours. It’s cooked properly but did something go wrong? Instead of the milled flax I used a milled mixed seed mix. Also how is the best way to store this bread?
Happy Holidays Emi! Cheryl x
Happy Christmas, Cheryl! Have a wonderful time x
Hello Emi, Happy New Year! Cheryl x
Beautiful photos! I have a bread recipe just like this on my blog but without coconut oil, I make it all the time! Hope you have a Happy new Year, I’ve loved your blog since discovering it this year!
Farah x
http://www.vatkinary.com
Dear Farah, Thank you so much for your very kind response and I am thrilled to hear that you enjoy my blog! I will indeed have to check out your blog and your recipe too :o) It’s certainly the best and closest recipe to bread I’ve ever created. Emma xx
Hi Emi
Cleaver girl!
Made some today, it’s really nice! The family liked it too even, though I put 4 times the coconut oil by mistake ? Great to have a bit of ‘bread’ now and then. Strawberry,raspberry & blueberry chai jam next on my to make list.
Hi Rob, I’m so pleased to hear that it was a great success, despite the coconut oil! Great to hear that the family love it too! My favourite is having it toasted with some mashed avocado and sea salt. Good luck with the jam. Emi x
Hi Emi,
Could I use ground cashew instead of almond? Thank you!!
Joey
Yes you could, of course. I’m sure that will be lovely! Do let me know how you get on! X
This looks so great! I can’t wait to try it after my Whole30. Do you think it would work with ghee instead of coconut oil?
I’ll be making this asap! So long as this mini oven we’re working with doesn’t burn it. 😉 Looks amazing! Especially with that soft boiled egg and avocado. xoxo
I made this today! I followed the directions as written using a mixture of pumpkin and sesame for the 100g of seeds. I was a bit skeptical as it contained no leavening but it’s quite nice! I loved the texture. I enjoyed a couple of slices with my lunch salad. Looking forward to having some tomorrow with my scrambled eggs. Might be nice with a bit of brie….
Going to try this 🙂 Do you think olive oil would work instead of coconut oil? Thanks!
Yes indeed it should work. Good luck and do let me know how you get on X
I try to avoid bread too!
Looks delicious , I am posting to my food board . I am bobcanada on Pinterest . I like bread that fills me up , reminds me of one that is sold in Banff that has 9gm fiber per slice.
Thank you very much! Hope you enjoy if you try the recipe! x
Do you think I could make this as muffins/ mini loaves? What sort of time difference would I would looking at? Thanks 🙂
They would definitely make mini loaves or muffins- I would just reduce the time to 35 minutes baking and then check with a clean knife to see if they’re done, if not just check every 5 minutes there after. The temperature is fine to remain at the same. Good luck and let me know! x
Just wanted to say a big thank you for this recipe! I’ve tried a few low carb breads (being a type 1 diabetic too) and this is the first recipe I’ve found that tastes like ‘real’ bread and isn’t too eggy. It’s easy to make, really filling, and barely affects my blood sugar. Having avoided bread for a long time, this has now become a staple recipe, which is genuinely exciting for me! Thank you!
Hi Kendra, that’s so wonderful to hear and I’m so happy that you’ve tried, tested and enjoyed it. It’s always so great to find things that don’t require much insulin! Thank you so much again 🙂 Emma x
Made this last week and really enjoyed it. I did find that I had to cook it for far longer than the recipe says to get any browning. Will definitely make it again though. Thank you.
Hi! I’m grain free and have been looking for a good loaf of bread to try. This seems perfect. Is it okay if I just use almond flour instead of just ground up almonds? Or would I use almond meal? And would I use the same amount?
Hi, yes almond flour will work just as well as grand almonds :). Emma x
I’ve got some coconut flour do you think that would work ok in place of the ground almonds?
Going to give it a try tomorrow
Thanks
Coconut flour is far more dense so it might end up too dry. I would halve the amount of coconut flour to replace the ground almonds and try that. Hope that helps. E x
Dear Emma, i made the bread few hours ago, let it cool down and my mother in law wanted her slice to be cut really thick as a piece of cake :)), she said that it doesn’t matter when i let her know that it is actually a bread :D. It is so delicious and it won’t last us 7 days, i predict it will be gone in next 2 days. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipes xxx
Hello! Gosh, what a lovely message. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and let me know. I hope you continue to enjoy other recipes from my blog. Emma xxx