26 March, 2006
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
If you were at the last Fresh Network open day you may have seen me demonstrating how to make herb bread and how to use the bread to make a sandwich. Well, I’ve come up with a new bread recipe and I have to say, it’s even better! You are the first to know about this recipe as I only took the first batch out of the dehydrator this morning and I’m feeling particularly satisfied now as I’ve just polished off a sandwich fit for Scooby Doo!!!
Before I go into the bread recipe, I’d just like to remind you of the next Fresh Network Open Day. These really are a fantastic day for members and guests alike. As well as coming to the beautiful riverside location Ely and getting your hands on all the equipment and raw food you can handle, there’ll be a range of food demos going on, some with free tasters! You can come from 10am and stay until 4pm, having lunch with us, or you can just drop in to say hi! If you time it right, you might even get some chocolate torte! Seeing as it’s Easter coming up, not only will I be demonstrating how to make my chocolate torte, I’ll also be showing you how to make raw chocolate Easter eggs. So now you won’t have to worry about what to do when everyone else is eating their eggs this year, just join in! Brilliant!
So on with the bread recipe…
I love making this bread as it’s so satisfying to create and eat. You can make a batch of this on Sunday and be set up for some fantastic lunchtime sarnies for the week, instead of just taking the salad option! I like to make a sandwich with avocado, lambs lettuce, tomato and cashew mayonnaise. If you like mushrooms then some chunky slices of portabello mushrooms marinated in Nama Shoyu or Tamari make an excellent addition too.
So here’s the recipe…
Mediterranean Almond Bread
Makes 18 ’slices’
1/2c olive oil
1c sun dried tomatoes, loosely packed
3c almond flour*
1c flax meal
3 medium courgettes (zucchini), peeled & roughly chopped
2 apples, cored and roughly chopped
3T lemon juice
1t salt
3T Herbs De Provence or herbs of your choice
2T marjoram or herbs of your choice
*You can make almond flour a number of ways. My favourite is to save the pulp from any almond milk I make and dehydrate it so I can keep it in a glass jar until needed. You could also use the almond pulp wet. Another way would be just to grind some almonds into flour in a high powered blender or coffee mill.
- Process the olive oil, sun dried toms, courgette, apple, lemon juice, salt and dried herbs until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the almond flour and process again until a batter is formed.
- In a bowl mix the batter with the flax meal by hand. The reason you do this separately (not in the processor) is that you are likely to have too much mixture for the size if the processor at this point, and when you add the flax meal it will become quite heavy and sticky and overwork your machine.
- When mixed, process the whole batter in the machine again in small batches to achieve a light fluffy texture.
- Divide the mixture in 2 and place on Paraflexx sheets, on dehydrator trays.
- Use an offset spatula (aka offset palette knife or cranked palette knife) to spread the mixture evenly to all 4 sides and corners of the Paraflexx sheet. If mixture is too sticky you can wet the spatula to make things easier. With a knife score the whole thing into 9 squares.
- Dehydrate for 2 hours and then remove the Paraflexx sheets by placing another dehydrator tray and mesh on top and invert so that your original sheet of bread is upside down. That will allow you to peel the Paralexx sheet off and continue to dehydrate the underside of the bread.
- Dehydrate for approx 8 hours more at 105 degrees F (do this overnight so you’re not tempted to eat it before it’s ready) or until bread feels light in your hand. If the pieces don’t fully come apart where you scored, use a knife to cut them.
So there you have it. Once you have this bread, the only limit you have is your imagination. I have made bread before and used lasagna leftovers to create ‘cheese and tomato’ sarnies, one of my all-time childhood faves!
Let me know your favorite fillings!!! :-)
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Hi there,
We just had open-faced sandwiches with your suggested combination of cashew cheese, avo, tomato,Portobello mushrooms, and lettuce and oh my… Don was actually moaning when he took his first bite! (I’m not kidding!LOL)
Wow! It’s fabulous! We love it when the bread has enough personality/flavor so that you can still taste it in spite of all the goodies on top. Your bread fits the bill perfectly! A new favorite in our house!
Thanks for sharing
Carmella
BTW, I had a bit ot a tough time figuring how much courgette and apple to put in as we don’t have a scale. How much would those amounts convert to in terms of cups? The bread turned out great in spite of my winging it but I’d be curious to know…
Carmella Soleil on / 17 December, 2006
Hi Carmella,
Glad you loved the recipe! It really fills a gap and easy easy to make enough for the week.
The recipe turns out be about 4 medium courgettes and 2 -3 apples. I’ll measure it out next time I do the recipe!
Russell James on / 18 December, 2006
Just made your Mediterranean Almond Bread — it’s fabulous! I used half the batch as the “base” for a raw pizza. The other half I’m enjoying on it’s own. The flavor is wonderful.
Thanks
Becky on / 16 January, 2007
Hi Russell,
I tried sending you an email but without success so here I am.
I don’t know whether you’re aware of it, but your bread has become quite famous on Raw Food Talk forum since I’ve started a thread saying how wonderful it is. he he You’ve been nicknamed ‘The Bread Man’. LOL
Anyway, I’m still making your bread regularly, although with less herbs, and sometimes without any at all for a more versatile version. It’s just amazing either way.
In fact, I love it so much that I made it during an informal raw food prep class last week. Again,it was a hit.
Anyway, the reason I’m writing is to ask you how you’d feel about me posting the recipe on my blog, with due credits and a link to your blog, of course. I’d just like to make it as easy as possible for my readers, but if you prefer, I can just put a link to the recipe here.
Just let me know what feels right to you.
You can visit The Sunny Raw Kitchen here:
http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/index.html
Oh, and I just LOVE your recipes! Everything always looks so delicious and I’ve really enjoyed all those I’ve tried. Thanks for sharing your gift!
Have a wonderful, vibrant day!
Carmella
Carmella Soleil on / 28 January, 2007
Hi Carmella,
The bread man eh? Do you know the muffin man?
Anyway, thanks for your comments and taking the trouble to bring my blog to other people’s attention.
I would love you to post my recipe on your blog with links to mine. I’ve got a new simpler nut-free bread that I’m pretty excited about too. I came up with the recipe in Lanzarote whilst I was working at a retreat there. Of course I will be posting that as soon as I get time!
Thanks again.
Russell James on / 29 January, 2007
Hey Russell,
Yay! Thanks a bunch! I was thinking that it would be a good idea to mention your suggested sandwich which is sooooo yum! OK if I use your pic as well? I’ll have a couple photos of my own of the bread ‘before and after’ dehydration. If all goes well, I should be able to post the thing up tomorrow.
Can’t wait to try your new bread recipe. See, you’re already living up to your new rep! LOL
Carmella Soleil on / 29 January, 2007
Hi Russell,
As yet I do not have a dehaydrator how do I make your bread without one? It sounds delicious and I am eager to try it out.
Thanks
Ana
Ana on / 4 February, 2007
Hi Ana,
You could try using a fan assisted oven on a low heat with the door slightly open.
I would suggest buying one Paraflexx sheet and a dehydrator tray, which is relatively cheap, and using that in the oven.
I haven’t tried this and don’t know how successful it would be, but I have heard of people using their oven in this way to dehydrate other things.
Depending on what climate you live in, you could also use the heat from the sun to ‘bake’ your bread. But it really has to be hot outside all the time for this.
Hope that helps.
Russell James on / 4 February, 2007
cant wait to try this bread!! just getting into crafting raw meals. what is the dehydrator you recommend? are you familiar with the ronco 5 tray model?
thanks for the inspiration!
kacey on / 14 March, 2007
Hi Kacey,
I use the Excalibur dehydrator. I’m not familiar with the Ronco model but have just looked at one online. It’s looks circular but it may be able to attempt a different shape bread!
Russell James on / 19 March, 2007
Hi Russell, I’m curious if you have a bread book out? If not, it would be great to have an uncook book solely for bread/crackers.
Judy on / 25 November, 2007
Hmmmm….how thick do we make the bread? I dried it overnight and it is still moist in the middle.
Sarah on / 3 December, 2007
I love you, Russell James. I just made a sandwich with this bread and I fell in love with you instantly. Bless you!
Queen on / 20 February, 2008
Hi Russell,
I just got my dehyradtor and would love to try this recipe, but can you tell me what temp do I put the bread on? Thanks for your help.
From Russell: Hi Danielle, I’m assuking you have an Excalibur, so set it on 105 degrees F.
Danielle on / 12 April, 2008
I can’t wait to try this… and your nut free bread. I will definitly be purchasing your e-books, can’t wait for them to come out.
Thanks,
Tanisha
Tanisha Marshall on / 18 April, 2008