Introduction: Bread of Power Not Flour
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About: BongoDrummer is co-founder of Flowering Elbow. He loves to learn about, share, invent, and make things, particularly from waste materials. Check out his youtube channel: www.youtube.com/floweringelbow
A collaborative instructable with Dancing_Sam...
This bread will make you strong*. Lots of people find that flour, particularly wheat flour, does not bring out the best in them. While life might be dull unless we eat carb filled bread to exploding point every now and then, flour from wheat (and many other high carb grains) can leave us sluggish, tired and more hungry.... But avoiding all bread is a major bummer, how could anyone deny themselves the joys of the mighty sandwich? The solution: the bread of power!
This bread contains lots of goodies that you might not consider typically 'bready'. Fear not! This will give you all that sandwiching potential and not take away from your healthy aliveness. It is dairy free, gluten free, wheat free and vegetarian (but not vegan, sorry). Why the bread of power? It is high protein and has lots of good things like Omega 3 in it, plus it doesn't take too long to make, and it tastes yum -yehhaaaa!
*Well, it might, it certainly should not make you weak, unless you have a nut allergy!
This bread will make you strong*. Lots of people find that flour, particularly wheat flour, does not bring out the best in them. While life might be dull unless we eat carb filled bread to exploding point every now and then, flour from wheat (and many other high carb grains) can leave us sluggish, tired and more hungry.... But avoiding all bread is a major bummer, how could anyone deny themselves the joys of the mighty sandwich? The solution: the bread of power!
This bread contains lots of goodies that you might not consider typically 'bready'. Fear not! This will give you all that sandwiching potential and not take away from your healthy aliveness. It is dairy free, gluten free, wheat free and vegetarian (but not vegan, sorry). Why the bread of power? It is high protein and has lots of good things like Omega 3 in it, plus it doesn't take too long to make, and it tastes yum -yehhaaaa!
*Well, it might, it certainly should not make you weak, unless you have a nut allergy!
Step 1: Ingredients
For one loaf you will need:
Foody things
Variations:
You can probably use whatever combo of seeds and nuts you like, but we haven't tried them all, so as always experimentation is in order!
Try replacing zucchini with carrot and/or apple for a sweeter version or mashed up pulses (butter beans, chickpeas etc) for even more protein and a slightly different texture.
You could add fresh herbs or cheese, there is vast potential for food jazzing here...
Hardware:
Foody things
- 5 eggs (big organic, free range ones are best)
- 70g (2.5oz) of walnuts
- 70-90g (2.5-3.5oz) of seeds
- One courgette / zucchini (medium size)
- salt and/or handful of salty peanuts
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Optional secret seasoning
Variations:
You can probably use whatever combo of seeds and nuts you like, but we haven't tried them all, so as always experimentation is in order!
Try replacing zucchini with carrot and/or apple for a sweeter version or mashed up pulses (butter beans, chickpeas etc) for even more protein and a slightly different texture.
You could add fresh herbs or cheese, there is vast potential for food jazzing here...
Hardware:
- Two bowls, one to whisk egg whites in, one to mix the other ingredients
- A tool or method to grind walnuts and seeds into a flour-like crumb (no Bongo, we're not using the pillar drill again!)
- A bread tin or tins (this quantity needs a large, 1lb/450 gram loaf tin or two smaller ones)
- Baking paper to line tins
- Whisk
- Spoon, knife
- Grater
- Scales or willingness to guesstimate
- An oven (will want preheating to gas mark 5, 180C, 350F)
Step 2: Grind It!
First up, get all your nuts and seeds together and into whatever tool you are going to use to grind them up.
We have a little mini mixer that is AMAZING at this and this only take a few seconds to make a nice magic crumble mix (fine, dry particles of food matter).
We have a little mini mixer that is AMAZING at this and this only take a few seconds to make a nice magic crumble mix (fine, dry particles of food matter).
Step 3: Separate the Eggs
So, we want all the yolks in one bowl, and all the egg whites in the other one. This can be a bit fiddly but it is really important not to get any yolk in with the egg whites (it doesn't matter if a bit of white goes in with the yolks).
Here we are using the egg shells to do the separation: break the shell gently with a knife, and open up carefully, holding over the bowl for the egg whites. Then carefully transfer the yolk from one half of the shell to the other, letting the egg white slip into the bowl at each turn, until it is mainly yolk you are left with. This goes in the yolk bowl.
Here we are using the egg shells to do the separation: break the shell gently with a knife, and open up carefully, holding over the bowl for the egg whites. Then carefully transfer the yolk from one half of the shell to the other, letting the egg white slip into the bowl at each turn, until it is mainly yolk you are left with. This goes in the yolk bowl.
Step 4: Mix in the Zucchini
Grab your grater (or if you want to go with a gadgety theme, grab your grinding gadget)
Grate up the zucchini and add to the egg yolk.
Give it a stir, hmmm, all gold and green...
Grate up the zucchini and add to the egg yolk.
Give it a stir, hmmm, all gold and green...
Step 5: Mix in the Magic Crumble
Now time to add the nutty, seedy, magic crumble to the glorious gold and green concoction...
At this point you can add any extra flights of seasoning fancy, it could be as simple as salt, or complex as a unique curry blend...
At this point you can add any extra flights of seasoning fancy, it could be as simple as salt, or complex as a unique curry blend...
Step 6: Construct an Egg White Mountain
Now select your whisk. We opted to just change attachments on the mini mixer, if you have one it will save a lot of time and arm ache, but you'll miss out on strength training!
Whisk the egg whites until they form 'soft peaks' - foamy, but not firm.
Then add that little bit of cream of tartar and continue whisking.
Keep going until you can make 'firm peaks' (or mountains), the mix will seem a fair bit dryer now.
Whisk the egg whites until they form 'soft peaks' - foamy, but not firm.
Then add that little bit of cream of tartar and continue whisking.
Keep going until you can make 'firm peaks' (or mountains), the mix will seem a fair bit dryer now.
Step 7: Avalanche
Time to reunite the eggs. Take your lovely white mountain and tip it into the eggy, nutty, veggie mix.
Gently combine the two. A metal spoon drawing 3d figures of eight, or 'folding in' is always how such operations are described in the cook books.
When the mixes are roughly together, pour into your lined baking tin (s).
Gently combine the two. A metal spoon drawing 3d figures of eight, or 'folding in' is always how such operations are described in the cook books.
When the mixes are roughly together, pour into your lined baking tin (s).
Step 8: Oven Time
Pop in the oven (gas mark 5/180C/350F). Pre-heat first, all ovens are different here, ours only takes 5 minutes to warm up. Our advice is to turn on before you whisk the egg whites so time between whisking and cooking is minimal. If your oven takes a while, might be best to whack it on at the very start.
If you went for one big tin, it'll be about 20 minutes before you need to check on it, and probably another 10 minutes further down the oven/ on a lower temperature to make sure the middle is done. It will take less time in two smaller tins.
If you went for one big tin, it'll be about 20 minutes before you need to check on it, and probably another 10 minutes further down the oven/ on a lower temperature to make sure the middle is done. It will take less time in two smaller tins.
Step 9: Eat and Have POWER!
Wooo, we have a grain and cereal free bread we can spread things on and make sandwiches with!
It will be quite a bit more moist than normal bread, with an interesting texture, which is rather delicious. Really you have just made a bready, high protein, no dairy version of a soufflé.
Testing so far concludes that you can successfully lightly toast the bread under a grill . Toasters are not such a great idea unless you are super careful and watch out for burning.
The bread of power does like to be kept cool, preferably in the fridge. Like any fresh bread it is best eaten up before it goes 'funny' (all of ours have been gobbled up in a few days, so we're not sure exactly how long it keeps).
Go forth and experiment, and feel free to share your results too!
It will be quite a bit more moist than normal bread, with an interesting texture, which is rather delicious. Really you have just made a bready, high protein, no dairy version of a soufflé.
Testing so far concludes that you can successfully lightly toast the bread under a grill . Toasters are not such a great idea unless you are super careful and watch out for burning.
The bread of power does like to be kept cool, preferably in the fridge. Like any fresh bread it is best eaten up before it goes 'funny' (all of ours have been gobbled up in a few days, so we're not sure exactly how long it keeps).
Go forth and experiment, and feel free to share your results too!
