Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Awesome Grain-Free Bread: Version 2 (No Flax) - Low Carb & Grain Free


This evening I'm excited to share my new version of "Awesome Grain-Free Bread" with you. I baked it last night and sliced and had some this evening (well...I admit, I took a little sneak taste last night). It is SO good! I didn't create this version to replace my original Awesome Grain-Free Bread recipe...because that one is really good. I actually received a number of requests from some of my followers who either did not care for flax or who were not able to eat it. They requested that I make a bread recipe that didn't use flax so they could enjoy it too. So...here it is! Personally, I like the golden flax but don't care as much for the dark brown variety. We all have different tastes.

I've been mulling this recipe over in my head for a little bit and finally decided to give it a "test drive" last night. It turned out better than I hoped it would! Creating recipes for grain-free baked goods is basically trial and error and can be a little tricky. Sometimes they completely flop and other times they surprise the patootie out of you (kind of like this recipe did). I've done some experimenting in the past baking with chia seed, but not to the degree I did with this recipe. I used ground chia seeds in this bread (basically chia flour). 

I've ground my own chia seeds (in a Magic Bullet) and I've purchased and used chia that is already ground (Spectrum's Ground Chia Seed). It should be stored and kept refrigerated after opening to keep it fresh. I used Spectrum's already ground in this bread. One observation I have noticed is that sometimes, in certain baked goods, when I use egg whites (or Egg Beaters), I seem to get more rise than when I use whole eggs with the yolks. I used plain Egg Beaters in this loaf and it seemed to rise more than my other bread recipe that I used whole eggs in. You can use whichever you prefer. Next time I make this bread, I'm going to use whole eggs (equaling 1 liquid cup in volume) to see if it makes as much difference in the rise as I suspect it might. I snapped a number of photos below and included the recipe as well. I think you are really going to like this bread -- I know that I do! Enjoy!




Before going into the oven
Check out the rise after about 15-20 minutes in the oven (I baked it for 15 minutes at 350 degrees and another 60 minutes at 325 degrees, then covered it lightly with foil half way through baking to prevent over-browning)
This is the ground chia seed I used
This bread was awesome with butter! 

Awesome Grain-Free Bread - Version 2 (No Flax)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted

1-1/3 cups blanched almond flour
2/3 cup ground chia seeds
3 teaspoons baking powder   
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup granular Swerve Sweetener (or granular equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar) 
1 cup egg whites (or Egg Beaters) or 4 large eggs equal to 1 cup
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8.5-inch x 4.5-inch loaf pan with oil.


In a medium bowl, mix first 7 dry ingredients together with a whisk to help break up any lumps.


In a small bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and olive oil together; stir in vinegar. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Dough will be thick and slightly sticky and will become fluffy. 


Scoop dough into greased loaf pan. Lightly smooth top of loaf with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake an additional 55-60 minutes (lightly cover with foil if top browns too quickly). Let sit in pan for 5 minutes; remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice using a bread knife or sharp serrated knife. Yields approximately 20 1/4-inch slices.


*Note: It's important to measure your eggs to make sure you have 1 full cup of eggs for this recipe.

       

36 comments:

:) said...

What is the taste difference between this one and the one with flax? I just made the one with flax and its very similar to the hamburger buns. I quite like it.

I would love to try sandwiches but does the sweetness of the bread work with like turkey or ham and mayo and mustard etc?

well right now i'm happy to be eating bread and butter!!!

Peg said...

Oooh, this sounds wonderful GG! I have to admit I'm in the "not really loving the flax taste" group. So I'm definitely going to be trying this bread. I've tried so many recipes and am usually disappointed.

Thank you again for your hard work in bringing us delicious recipes.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi there -- this bread with chia I think has a slightly different texture/crumb. It is a good neutral tasting bread. I add the sweetness to make it taste similar to "regular bread" which has a slightly sweet taste. If you like less sweet, reduce the sweetener a bit. I try to create a "balanced taste/flavor" that would go with a variety of things -- butter, peanut or almond butter, and I've had it with eggs, cheese, etc. I am going to tuck a few slices in a baggie in my purse and go out for "bagels and coffee" like I did this past weekend -- just bought cream cheese and coffee and my bread made a very nice bagel substitute (my hubby is not grain free like me). I use the sandwich buns all the time with turkey, chicken salad, burgers, hot dogs, etc. and for my taste it works. If it is more sweet than you like...just tone it back a bit. Glad you are enjoying "bread and butter"...and we thought those days were over! ;-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Peg,

I'm with you -- I have found the majority of grain free bread substitutes merely "okay" as in "better than nothing"...but I really like this bread. It tastes, feels and looks like regular bread. Let me know what you think if you try it. :-)

Sylvia said...

This bread is awesome just as the name implies! I sent you and email too but just wanted to let everyone know that this is really good. I found the bread with flax crumbles easily. I may have baked my bread a little too long (my mother turned off the timer) and it's a tad bit dry. But I prefer that as it has more "substance" than the flax recipe. I did just receive my muffin top pan!! Yay!!
Thanks Ayla for all your trials and successes to give us great recipes.
Sylvia

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Sylvia!

Thanks so much -- I am so happy you like the bread. I do think it has a more "real bread texture". I actually lightly toasted some this evening and had "toast and butter". I hope you enjoy making the sandwich buns with the muffin top pan. It just helps make them more uniform and nicely shaped. Thanks so much for letting me (and everyone else) know that you liked the bread. I hope it helps someone trying to transition to grain-free get over the fear of life without bread...because the truth is...bread isn't bad -- it's what traditional breads are made with that isn't good for us. This way you can be grain-free and have your bread too! ;-)

CyberSis said...

Hi GGC,

I made this bread today and it lives up to it's "awesome" title. :-) Mine didn't rise quite as high as yours did ... I used Egg Beaters egg whites. However, it was still very nicely textured. I'll try out "real" eggs and "regular" Egg Beaters, too, to see how each one acts in the recipe.

I ran 2/3 Cup of chia seeds through my coffee mill and boy did it fluff up! I measured out 2/3 Cup of *ground* chia and had lots left over for next time! :-)

I made a chicken sandwich stuffed with the Costco bagged salad we like so much (with just a *smidgeon* of the dressing that comes with it.) The bread held up wonderfully. Just for fun I cut another slice *extremely* thin ... it held together and did not break apart at all. Tomorrow I'm going to make toast for breakfast and I have *Grilled Cheese Sandwiches* dancing in my head for later. Imagine that! Thanks for yet another *awesome* recipe. :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CyberSis,

So glad you enjoyed the bread. I got an email from someone that used the 1 cup of whole eggs and hers turned out very nice. It is interesting though the little differences sometimes made using different versions of eggs. What I'd love to do is have 2 pans with 2 different versions (whole eggs vs Egg Beaters, etc.) going at the same time side by side to see a side by side comparison. But that would require buying another pan which I don't have the space for! LOL Glad you are enjoying it and remember that you can tuck those slices into your purse if you decide to go out for coffee and "bagels" like I did last weekend. Hubby wanted to stop at Einsteins while out shopping so I whipped out my sliced bread...bought a side of cream cheese and coffee...and was not envious one single bit of the big bagel hubby was eating. ;-)

Unknown said...

Where do I find the different flours? I live in So Calif (L.A. area)

Sylvia said...

ladies,
I have two loaf pans, well actually 4 (I love to bake)...so I will make a loaf with whole eggs and a loaf with egg beaters. I will send GGC pics and comparisons tomorrow. Believe me, neither loaf will go to waste!!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Barbara,

You might be able to find the Honeyville blanched almond flour locally since you are in CA -- I believe they are located in Rancho Cucamonga. Otherwise, you can order it from Amazon or directly from Honeyville Grain. The link in my recipe takes you to it on Amazon. The ground chia can also be ordered from Amazon or you may be able to find it locally as well. I purchased mine at Sprouts Farmers Market but the bag I'm using now I ordered from Amazon. Whole Foods may carry it as well. The coconut flour is carried at most grocery stores -- I buy Bob's Red Mill since I can get it at my local store. If you can't find ground chia, you can grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder, etc. until powdered. Hope that helps! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Barbara,

You might be able to find the Honeyville blanched almond flour locally since you are in CA -- I believe they are located in Rancho Cucamonga. Otherwise, you can order it from Amazon or directly from Honeyville Grain. The link in my recipe takes you to it on Amazon. The ground chia can also be ordered from Amazon or you may be able to find it locally as well. I purchased mine at Sprouts Farmers Market but the bag I'm using now I ordered from Amazon. Whole Foods may carry it as well. The coconut flour is carried at most grocery stores -- I buy Bob's Red Mill since I can get it at my local store. If you can't find ground chia, you can grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder, etc. until powdered. Hope that helps! :-)

Marion said...

I am recently diagnosed with egg white allergy. If I use only yolks would this bread have a difficult time rising?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Marion,

I don't really know how it would react with only yolks. To get 1 cup of yolks would also mean you'd have to go through a LOT of eggs. I would hate for you to try it and waste that many eggs. If you decided to give it a try...maybe you want to try cutting it in half and making it in a mini-loaf pan instead...just in case it doesn't work well. :-)

Independent Damsel Pro S. McDonald said...

Thank you for this recipe! Just made some and it passed the hubby test. He loves it too!
Will be making this on a regular basis.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Ravencrow,

Yay! It's always a good thing when it passes the hubby test! I know mine can be sort of picky. I'm glad you both like it and hope you enjoy using it for all sorts of things! :-)

Anonymous said...

Thank GGC! This is by far the BEST "bread" I ate since I eat WB Style (2 1/2years ago) and I tried a ton of recipes! Annie from Quebec

Anonymous said...

Have you ever tried separating the eggs, beating up the whites (with cream of tartar) and then folding in the beaten whites to give more "rise" to any of the "bread" recipes you have created?
Just wondering, as I did this to Dr. David's recipe for his carrot muffins. But, I had extra batter left over (only have 1 cupcake pan), & let that sit while the first batch baked. Those turned out ok, except that the center sunk in a bit.
There was enough batter left over for 3 more muffins. I also put water in the remaining empty cups before baking them. These didn't sink in the center and were better looking.
Next time, instead of only filling the cups 2/3rds full as per recipe instructions, they will be filled 3/4 full. This, of course, will increase the nutritonal values to higher amounts.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Anonymous,

No, I haven't tried beating the egg whites separately. While it may very well improve the rise somewhat...I try instead to strive for the best result for the least effort. While you and I may not mind beating egg whites, folding, etc...I don't think many people have that kind of time or energy most days. So, I intentionally try to minimize the effort to produce the best end product. However, you are probably correct and it would likely add volume. If you ever try it on one of my bread recipes, let me know how it turns out. I can always suggest it as an alternative preparation for those that want to do that. Thanks for the suggestion! Great idea with the carrot muffins, too! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Annie,

Wow -- the best bread you've eaten in 2-1/2 years??? THAT just made my day, week, month and year! I think we've all tried many versions of bread that are "okay"...and some not so good. I'm so happy you ranked mine so highly! That means a lot to me. I want everyone to not just "survive" eating this way...but to absolutely enjoy it and never feel deprived. I'm so happy you are enjoying the bread. Thanks so much for letting me know. :-)

:) said...

GG can you describe the difference in Taste and texture between the chia version and flax version? Also I was wondering....we always have buttermilk leftover after making bread that I don't know what to do with. Can I freeze it to use next time I make bread or can I make yogurt with it?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi there,

I think there is a slightly different flavor and texture between the flax and chia bread. I like both golden flax and chia...so it isn't a significant difference to me...but there are some that just don't care for flax at all. They chia bread is a little better texture wise I think...but not drastically different. I need to make a loaf of each and compare the taste side by side. If you've tried them both...do you have a preference? :-)

Marilynn said...

Wow! That is a great tasting wheat-free loaf of bread. Great texture too. Thank you for developing this recipe. The bread I had been making prior to this one was not nearly this good. You're the best! Keep up the good work.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Marilyn,

So glad you like the bread! I was very pleased with how that recipe turned out! Hope you enjoy it -- it's nice to have a piece of decent bread again isn't it? :-)

Theresa said...

Can I use this recipe to make hamburger rolls or do some adjustments need to be made?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Theresa,

You probably could use this recipe to make hamburger rolls. It makes more dough than in my sesame seed bun recipe so you would get more buns/rolls. Here's my sesame seed bun recipe (that includes flax). I haven't tried it yet but might just do so soon. Let me know if you try it first! :-) (P.S. Here's the other bun recipe: http://www.gourmetgirlcooks.com/2014/04/sesame-seed-sandwich-buns-low-carb.html )

Rhonda said...

This is now my favorite (only) go-to bread recipe. It makes a good size loaf and tastes amazing! I'm going to try it as cinnamon raisin next (as per your other blog) and maybe experiment with a bacon-cheese version after that. I also LOVE the hamburger buns! So happy to have a good 'normal' burger again! Thanks for your wonderful recipes!

Anonymous said...

Do you think it would work with almond milk instead of buttermilk? Thanks!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Anonymous,

Yes, others have told me they used a "buttermilk substitute" made w/ almond milk. The ratio for 1 cup of "home made" buttermilk is 1 tablespoon white vinegar OR lemon juice and then fill measuring cup up to 1 cup level. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes to curdle/thicken. So, for this recipe that use 2/3 cup buttermilk...place 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice in glass measuring cup and fill with almond milk to the 2/3 cup line. Let sit and use as buttermilk. Hope that helps! :-)

Jackie :) said...

I made this today. It's wonderful. We're having pj's tonight for dinner. My 2 year old has been asking for them and seems to be missing them since we went wheat belly. Also, love your one bowl chocolate chip cookies! As in made a batch yesterday, had 2 ladies over, and btwn them, myself, my hubby and my 2 Littles we have 4 cookies left. ... I've eaten a good bunch myself! Too good. .. Going to have to forget about them for awhile! ;)

Jackie :) said...

Also, I made my own buttermilk as you described and it seemed to work beautifully. I also measured and used whole eggs.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Jackie,

I am so happy that you and your family and guest like my chocolate chip cookies. I'm also extremely happy that your little ones will get to enjoy the pj's again! That absolutely makes my day.

My 3 kids are grown now...but one of my sons had a pb&j every single day throughout all his school years (K-12) for lunch. I can't imagine him not being able to have one...so that makes me super happy that your little ones won't be deprived of one of the many joys of childhood...pbj's AND cookies! Thanks so much for letting me know that!!! :-)

Unknown said...

I made this today using whole eggs. It was awesome! It tastes similar to light rye bread and has the right amount of sweetness. My husband, who never wants to taste anything wheat free, even liked it! This recipe is a winner!! Thank you for all you do! Rhonda

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi rndchristy,

Yay! I'm so happy you enjoyed the bread. That's awesome that your hubby liked it too! My hubby is not wheat free either so I'm always especially happy when he likes it too. That tells me it's good for anyone! You are very welcome. :-)

Jan said...

We are just two weeks into the wheat belly diet thing. I made your bread recipe with the ground chia seeds. My loaf deflated a bit in the oven and was darker in color all the way through.I just can't get past the chia taste. Do you beat the wet mixture with an electric beater or by hand? Had tried Dr.'s pumpkin bread and had to throw it out - just not palatable. I miss my english muffin in the morning - maybe it's the yeast taste. Can you use just almond flour and coconut flour with the yeast? Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Jan,

I beat the wet ingredients by hand. Wonder in the loaf pan you are using affects the loaf? Did you try covering the loaf loosely with foil when it began browning too quickly? You might actually prefer my "sesame seed sandwich buns" as a first grain free bread product this early on (leave odd the sesame if you want). They are the closest in texture and taste to regular bread in my opinion. Make sure you use golden ground flax (not regular brown) because it's much more mild flavored. Lastly, make sure your baking powder and baking soda are fresh as well. That can affect the rise as well. Did you use almond flour (not more dense almond meal)? Just trying to run through the various possibilities as to what might have made yours turn out different.