Thursday, April 7, 2016

Lentil Bread - Mostly Wheat Free


So, I've been looking for a way to enjoy bread while following my very low fast carb Diet Free Life. What this means for me is that I am trying to avoid eating an abundance of fast carbs (foods that quickly turn to sugar inside your body) and unfortunately, this means bread and pasta, two of my favorite things.

Then I had this idea! Lentils.  Lentils are delicious, don't get me wrong, they still are high in carbohydrates, but also high in fiber, have an interesting flavor, and are considered a slow carb. I love lentils in cold salads and hot soups, but in bread?? YES. So I searched and searched for a recipe that I thought might work and I found one, tweaked it to suit myself and I'd like to share with you.

Now, don't go expecting this to be fluffy white bread, there is little to no gluten in here, which gives breads its chewy texture. This bread is more dense, a little drier, but delicious. I am posting this recipe for now until I perfect this, then I will post a new recipe. This bread didn't rise like I had hoped, but I was able to slice it into "slices" that resemble bread by slicing the long way, rather than on the short side like a typical loaf of bread.

In the mean time, I will also work on an almond flour bread that we used to make for my brother when he followed a specific carbohydrate diet for Crohn's disease. I am just looking for something that isn't so high in fat though. Maybe a lentil\almond mix!?

1.5 cups of lentils (white or regular brown)
3 Tbsp flour (or rice or other gluten free four)
3 Tbsp arrow root (or ugh...corn starch)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil


1. Soak the lentils overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 400F
3. In a food processor, blend the lentils. Add a little water to loosen it a bit, but not too loose about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and keep processing. This will add a lot of extra needed air for rising.

** The batter will be thick like a cake batter and should be bubbly from the added air.**

 5. Pour batter into an oiled non stick pan or lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes. You might want to cover the top with parchment paper too after the first 15 minutes.

After the bread has cooled, you will probably see that it didn't rise much (or did it!?). It's ok! Just cut the loaf into 3's and then cut the top, two middle slices and the bottom. You should get about 8 slices per loaf.

I am going to keep working on this recipe to see how to get it to rise more so stay tuned!
Lentil Bread Grilled Cheese