With our current crisis, I have personally chosen to take better care of my overall health. However, it’s difficult to be a foodie and make healthier choices, especially when you’re emotionally governed by the chaos in today’s world. And it seems that during these uncertain times, my need for simple carbs subconsciously increases. If I don’t consume nutritiously dense foods, my automatic need to have simple carbs, such as bread, is inevitable. My current low-carb health practice is to eliminate simple carbs and to create healthier habits. Thus, I get that fix through making alternative choices.

So, for those of you also craving the comfort of bread without the carbs, I am delighted to share this delicious loaf recipe with you! I also use this recipe to make burger buns and other types of bread. For this recipe, you will need a mixing bowl, large spoon and 1.5-pound loaf pan (10”x5”)

Ingredients:

2-1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon golden flaxseed meal
3/4 cup warm water + 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
Garnish with sesame seeds and poppy seeds
(Optional) sunflower seeds, choice of your favorite nuts, dry fruit, etc.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Put golden flaxseed meal and all other dried ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to make sure it is mixed.
In a separate container, mix water and apple cider vinegar.
Pour the water and apple cider vinegar mixture into the dry ingredients and stir well (You will notice that the mixture will seem watery, but it will quickly transform into a dough-like consistency as the flaxseed meal starts to absorb the water.).
At this point, the dough will have expanded and formed into a dough ball with a smooth outer surface (Do not over-knead/mix the dough; handle it as little as possible.).
Place the loaf into a greased (or parchment paper-lined) loaf pan.
Mist with water and sprinkle some seeds on top. (I use a mix of flaxseeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds). Gently press down on the seeds with your palm to make them stick better.
Bake the bread for 60 minutes. The crust should be golden brown (if using golden flaxseeds).
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool inside the loaf pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the bread on a cooling rack, and let it cool completely before slicing.
Store the flaxseed bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for seven days. For longer term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. I like to slice the bread prior to freezing, but you can freeze the whole loaf as well.

Note: When baking with flaxseed meal, you want to consider the wet/moist ingredients as this will affect the result of your finished product. For example, if you decide you want to make this into a sweet bread with bananas and apple sauce, then you want to alter your water quantity.

Dipika is a Holistic Health and Lifestyle Coach who empowers clients to activate a balanced lifestyle of the mind, body and soul. She can be reached at [email protected] or www.loveyourlifehealthy.com.