Gluten-Free Nut-Seed-Fruit Bread

  1. In a large bowl, combine:
    1 cup sunflower seeds
    1/3 cup chopped blanched almonds
    1/3 cup hazelnuts
    1/4 cup walnuts
    1/3 cup dried cranberries
    1/3 cup currents
    2 T sesame seeds (optional)
    enough water to cover plus 1/4 to 1/2 inch more
  2. Let the nuts and seeds soak overnight, or 12-24 hours
  3. Prepare a bread pan, line it with parchment paper.
  4. Drain the water from the large bowl into another pan to save it
  5. Add to the large bowl
    1/2 cup flax seeds
    1-1/2 cup rolled oats
    2 T chia seeds
    4 T psyllium seed husks (3 T if using powdered type)
    1 t sea salt (add 1/2 t. if using coarse salt)
    1 T maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
    3 T melted coconut oil or ghee (can be 1/2 olive oil if you prefer)
    1 t orange flavoring or 1 T orange zest (optional)
  6. Stir and mix these ingredients well
  7. Measure the reserved soaking water and add enough more water to make 1-1/2 cups water.
  8. Add the 1-1/2 cups of water to the large bowl and mix well.
  9. Wait about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until most of the water has been absorbed and you don't see water standing in the bottom of the bowl. The reason is that you are going to transfer the mixture to your bread pan, and it's better to not have any water run beneath the parchment paper.
  10. Gently ladle the mixture into the bread pan. Don't pack it down, but gently fill the pan. Smooth the top with the edge or your ladle, but again, don't pack it down. This will be the final shape of the top of the bread.
  11. Let it rest for 4-8 hours at room temperature so that all of the moisture is absorbed into the psyllium, chia and flax seeds - making the bread quite firm.
  12. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
  13. Bake for 20 minutes
  14. Gently remove the bread from the pan, turn it upside down and return it to the oven on the rack and bake it for another 30-40 minutes.
  15. Cool before slicing!

This bread is excellent as toast, as a snack just as is, or as travel fare - it keeps well. It's great with preserves, honey, hummus, pesto, tapenade, or other spreads or dips.

Alternatives:
You can use almost any combination of nuts, seeds and/or fruit. Try these:

  • Instead of cranberries and orange flavoring, add dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano.
  • Instead of maple syrup, add molasses, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and allspice.
  • Instead of nuts, increase the amount of dried fruit (but keep the psyllium, flax and chia since they hold the bread together).
  • Add candied ginger. (Thanks, Diana!)

When I make this bread I put the nuts/fruit to soak before bed, and the next morning I add the additional ingredients and transfer it to the bread pan. After lunch it's ready to make although all resting times can be increased.

From Jennifer Miller