Almond Flour Bread

I heart my copy of Elana’s Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. My mouth waters every time I pull it down off the shelf. Maybe it’s that picture of a big fat chocolate cake on the front…

I swoon over her chocolate chip scones, I adore the cod piccata paprika, the pancake batter in waffle-form (I’ve decided I have a thing against pancakes. I think it’s the texture, since I love the exact same batter so much more in waffle form!) and let’s not forget the Strawberry Crème Tart (ooh, I totally have strawberries in the fridge begging to be made into that recipe)! So many great recipes!

Here’s another good one! Scrumptious sandwich bread. I admit, it’s not your average GF bread. It’s richer, thicker, nuttier, heartier. I have breads I love for sandwiches. But this one, it’s different. Special. I’ve loved it three different ways. As croutons, in a breakfast bake, and as crackers/toasted. See how I did it below the bread recipe.

Scrumptious Sandwich Bread
(adapted from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook)

¾ c roasted almond butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs (I used 2 eggs and ½ c egg whites)
¼ c blanched almond flour
¼ c arrowroot powder
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground flax meal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bread pan (Elana recommends grapeseed oil, I just used Pam spray).
In a large bowl, mix almond butter until well blended. Add eggs and stir well. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined. Pour into pan.
Bake for 45 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for an hour. Slice and serve.

Check out the link here for the breakfast bake.

Ok, so for the crackers, it was pretty simple. I just sliced the bread very thinly, spritzed it with olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of garlic salt, then threw it in my toaster oven for a good 5 minutes. It was wonderfully crispy! I’m sure these would be great with some spreads/toppings. I was very satisfied with just enjoying them as they were.

And as for the croutons, well, these are awesome! I’ve rediscovered my love for the crunchy morsels, and I’m excited to experiment with more flavor combinations! So, I cubed my bread pretty small (think thumbnail sized pieces, or whatever you prefer, I just enjoyed this size the most and they reminded me of restaurant croutons). I heated a pan with a swirl of EVOO over med-high heat. I added a sprinkle of salt and some chili powder, then tossed in the bread cubes. You gotta watch these babies, they cook fast. I stirred a lot (very gently, so as to not squash them!), and spritzed some extra oil where I felt necessary. Feel them, to see if they’re getting crispy. Five or so minutes is all it takes, and there you go!