Grain-free bread can be tasty!

Many people try eliminating wheat/gluten and grains from their diet, to find that the gluten-free breads are pretty awful. Here are some really tasty alternatives!

First some quick-bread recipes using almond flour, that are easy to make. They’re all grain-free, although some contain ingredients that are somewhat of a compromise– heated dairy products and honey, for example (which are terrific raw).

But for some people, getting off wheat or grains is an important step, and these can help fill in the gap. Usually you can make some substitutions if you don’t like certain ingredients. These recipes are rather forgiving, not like yeasted breads that can fail miserably if you deviate from the recipe.

See below the recipes for mail-order sources for ingredients.

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Parmesan-Herb Bread
From Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook (posted with permission)

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon mixed herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup dry curd cottage cheese or Farmer cheese
1/2 cup water
1-2 cloves garlic, optional

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine dry ingredients (first 5). In blender or food processor, blend all other ingredients until smooth. Stir everything together.

Scoop dough into 3 small buttered loaf pans, or two larger. Bake 50-55 minutes or until done. Cool loaves before removing from pans.

To make crackers, chill the baked loaf (easier to slice when cold), slice baked loaf into 1/4 inch slices, bake at 200 degrees until very crispy.

This bread keeps well in the fridge or freezer.

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Cinnamon-Ginger Cookes

4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup grated coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 300F.
Place butter in mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients, stirring flour in last. Form dough into 1-inch diameter balls and place on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until done. Watch that they don’t burn around the edges.
You can adjust the spices to taste, or add others like nutmeg, cloves, etc.

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Almond Spice Cake
From Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook

4 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup honey + a little more
1/2 cup homemade yogurt
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spices: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 310F
In mixing bowl, stir together butter, honey, yogurt, eggs. Stir in all other ingredients. Spread batter into a buttered 8 inch x 8 inch baking pan, or loaf pan. Bake 30 min or until done.
Optional frosting:
1 cup cream cheese or dripped yogurt (let yogurt drain through colander)
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
3 tbsp honey
1 teaspoon vanila extract
Combine all ingredients, chill.
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Banana Bread or muffins
From Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook

3 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs, beaten
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups almond flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven 310F
In mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients, adding flour and walnuts last. Scoop batter into 3 buttered loaf pans or two large ones, filling 3/4 full. Batter can also go into muffin pans.

Bake loaves 45-50 min; muffins 20-25 min
Cool before slicing.

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ALMOND FLOUR:

Almond flour can be mail ordered through:
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop, 1-888-484-2126 (In WA)
or email Lucy Rosset
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop

Information about the Specific Carbohydrate diet:

The SCD diet is mainly for people with intestinal disorders such as colitis or Crohn’s disease, but is also helpful for all kinds of immune problems and those who don’t tolerate wheat or gluten. It is completely free of sugar and all grain.

See:
Book: Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall

Cookbook: Lucy’s Specific Carbohydrate Diet Cookbook (order directly from Lucy)
Lucy’s Kitchen Shop

CHEBE BREAD is a delicious gluten-free Brazilian bread made from manioc (tapioca).