Thursday, May 19, 2011

Vegan Mediterranean Bread


Hello long lost food blog! I haven't posted in a while, and now I've got food how-to photos accumulating like crazy... so you can expect a few daily posts from me :]

I recently picked up a vegan baking book from the library, and decided to try out a few recipes. Unfortunately, I'm on a grain-free diet right now and wasn't able to actually try this one! But luckily, I've got a plethora of family members to test recipes out on. The bread comes out of the oven moist and fragrant, looking so rustic and beautiful. This is also a quick-bread with no yeast or rising time, so it's very easy to make!

What you'll need:
  • 3 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 c water
  • 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 c whole-wheat flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp each chopped fresh rosemary and basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 c unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1/3 c finely chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 c chopped olives (I used black, but I would recommend kalamata instead)
  • 1/3 c chopped sun dried tomatoes

What to do:


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking stone or loaf pan with canola oil. 
 
In a food processor, whip the flaxseed and water together until it becomes thick.
 
 
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and chopped herbs. In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed mixture, almond milk, and olive oil.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and fold until three-quarters of the dry ingredients are moistened.


Add the olives, sundried tomatoes, and the walnuts, and fold until all of the dry ingredients are fully moistened. Don't worry, the batter is supposed to be sticky.



Scrape the batter into a loaf pan or onto a baking stone for a more artisan look. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack.


Serve with olive oil and enjoy!