Sweet apple-cherry gluten free flax-oat bread

Sweet apple-cherry gluten-free flax-oat bread

Here is a bread recipe that I threw together last Sunday looking for something sweet and not overly high in carbohydrates. I always aim to add some healthy ingredients so this bread benefits from oats, flax seeds, bitter cherries, and apple.

Many Paleo and Banting bread options can actually be very high in protein and fat. I do believe that active athletes and persons with good health do need some carbohydrates to fuel their health and training. So a slice or two of this served with grass-fed butter or nut butter is perfect to aid recovery and preparation for subsequent training sessions.

The bread is still a carbohydrate dominant food source but the carbs are slow releasing in nature and provide nutrition; the bread also contains omega 3 from flax, protein and healthy fats from the duck egg and a nice dose of antioxidants from the cherries and apple. Psyllium adds fibre as well as texture hence supporting the gastrointestinal system while also blunting the absorptions of sugars.  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milled flax seeds (I milled mine fresh from whole seeds in the Nutri-Bullet)
• 1 cup psyllium husks
• 1 cup Doves farm self-raising gluten-free flour
• 1 cup gluten-free oats
• Generous amount of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Few teaspoons of coconut sugar (or other sweetening) to make up for the tartness of the cherries
• 1 apple – washed, cored and sliced into small pieces (I left the skin on as I was using an organic apple)
• Bitter Montmorency cherries, Cherry Active brand (mine were already soaked but need not be) – raisins, sultanas, prunes or dates will also work
• 1 large egg/ 1 duck egg (I always use duck eggs; just prefer them and know that they are free range)
• Water to desired consistency and allowing for soakage from psyllium husks and flax seeds.
  

Milled (and whole) flax

Psyllium husks

G-F oats

Handy measuring cups

Sea salt

Duck eggs

Dried cherries

G-F self-raising flour

Coconut sugar

Sliced apple

Ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C.
2. Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl; the milled flax seeds, psyllium husks, gluten-free self-raising flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, and coconut sugar and mix with a fork.
3. Add the chopped apple and cherries or other dried fruit. Mix with a fork.
4. Then mix in the egg and water until you have a ‘bread like’ texture. Allow to sit for a few moments while you prepare the bread tin.
5. Grease the sides and line the bottom of a 2 lb bread loaf tin with greaseproof paper using butter or coconut oil.
6. Check the consistency of the mixture adding more water if needed. The texture should be neither too dry nor too damp. It should feel slightly fluffy in texture if this makes sense!
7. Toss the mixture into the bread tin and press it gently down to bed it all into the tin.
8. Place in the oven and start baking at 200 ° C; double-check the bread after ten minutes and turn the heat down to 180 ° C if it looks too hot.
9. The bread will take approximately 45 to 1 hour to bake to the point of just done when you insert a knife through it. Most gluten-free breads do better slightly under cooked as they tend to dry out further after they are removed from the oven.
10. Allow to cool and serve with organic butter, or nut butter, or just as it is.

Enjoy!