Grain-Free Coconut-Almond-Flax Bread

Now that I have my trusty oven thermometer, I decided to bake something that I've been wanting to try for a little while now.  I developed this bread dough based on my grain-free biscuits, and baked it in a small glass loaf pan per Elana's recommendations for her almond flour and flax meal loaves.  Elana has learned by trial-and-error how to bake with almond flour plus flax meal, and I suspected that even though my recipe contains coconut flour too,  this dough would behave in a somewhat similar fashion.

Yes, it did, and wow....the bread turned out to be delicious!

If I do say so myself! ;)

Grain-Free Coconut-Almond-Flax Bread

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C coconut flour
1/4 C almond flour**
1 1/2 T flax meal
1 tsp baking powder
2 T coconut or agave nectar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly oil, or spray with non-stick spray, a small loaf pan (NOTE: I used a 6.5" x 4" glass loaf pan, which is an odd size....a bit smaller than most, so adjust your cooking time accordingly if you use a slightly larger one).

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut or agave nectar, and coconut oil thoroughly. Combine the salt, coconut and almond flours, flax meal and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir into the egg-oil mixture, blending well.

Spoon the batter into the small loaf pan, and smooth the top with the back of the spoon.  Bake for approximately 30 - 40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the loaf comes out clean and the top is a dark golden brown.

**NOTE: I am following Elana Amsterdam's suggestion and using ONLY finely ground blanched almond flour. Some almond flours on the market simply are not fine enough to give a good texture to baked goods. For example, Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour just doesn't work. The flour that I'm currently using is Honeyville's Blanched Almond Flour.

My oven temperature stabilized close to 325 degrees, maybe a tad less.  I ended up baking the loaf for approximately 40 minutes.  I tested it for done-ness as one tests a pumpkin pie...by inserting a regular butter knife into the loaf to see if it came out fairly clean.

This loaf of bread stored well (covered) for 3 days on my kitchen counter; it stayed moist and flavorful and pliable.  I ate it plain, and with lemon curd.  I haven't tried toasting it yet, but since the slices are so small, I will probably use the broiler rather than the toaster.

This is a great alternative to the high-carb gluten free breads available in the stores; this bread is very nutrient-dense, high in fiber and relatively low in carbohydrates.  It is made with low-glycemic-index ingredients, so is shouldn't spike your blood sugar like most baked goods will.

Enjoy!