I've been playing around with a recipe of Centaura57 (member here) and have after several experiments, come up with a bread I'm really liking a LOT!
And it's so EASY to make! Probably the particular brand of NOW protein powder I use, but when made by the original recipe, mine came out very dry. The major change in my version below is the addition of chia gel for moisture and elasticity. More resembles commercial sandwich multi-grain bread now. Great texture, not crumbly at all, not bitter to me like some flax buns I've made. Usually have to FORCE myself to finish a sandwich made with flax, as they make me feel like I'm eating grass or sawdust. Not so with THIS bread. I scarfed down the tuna sandwich pictured below with no problem at all. And chia is very filling (like flax) so this sandwich will “stay with you” longer than many. Some of my blog readers tell me it holds up to packing up lunchboxes with mustard overnight for school or to take to work and it doesn't fall apart on them!
Tried baking one adding glucomannan powder, but that didn’t resolve the dryness issue. Again, that's probably my brand of protein powder.
I decided to use olive oil rather than coconut (don’t like CO in non-dessert baked goods). I always grind my chia seeds up in a coffee grinder so they are not so big and visible in the final product. My gel is 1 part ground seeds to 9 parts liquid. Any leftover gel will keep in the refrigerator in that lidded jar for about a week.
I used one of those sliced bread-shaped containers used for kids lunchboxes to cook mine in, but any square or round shallow 1" deep glass baking dish will work. Given the minute amount of chia seeds in this, 2/9 of 1 T., I wouldn’t think this bread would be a problem on Induction. My thanks to Centaura57 for the inspiration for this recipe. This is a bread I’ll be making often! I plan to try a cinnamon/sweetener/butter breakfast version and a garlic bread version for my next Italian food. I see lots of possibilities on the horizon for this bread.
I usually make 2 at a time and store in the refrigerator. I can get two ½" thick slices or three thinner slices for breakfast toast out of this recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp. olive oil
½ Tbsp. chia gel (1 part ground chia seed : 9 parts water)
½ Tbsp. water
pinch salt
¼ c. whey protein powder, unflavored, unsweetened (I use NOW brand)
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ c. flax meal (preferably golden, but I would use dark for rye version)
OPTIONAL: pinch each of caraway seed, onion powder (for rye version)
DIRECTIONS: In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add oil and chia gel and stir well. Add remaining ingredients in order listed. With rubber spatula, scrape batter into a flat microwave dish that is at least 1″ deep. Microwave on HI for 1 minute. Since microwaves vary (I use a 1200 watt unit), you might check at 1 minutes and then add more time if needed, to be safe. Cool and tip onto cutting board. Slice laterally into two thinner slices.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 1 serving of 2 slices. Entire recipe contains:
346 calories
24.2 g fat
10 g carbs, 7.8 g fiber, 2.2 g NET CARBS
31.5 g protein
558 mg sodium
447 mg potassium
10% RDA Vitamin A, 13% B6, 27% b12, 29% calcium, 46% copper, 38% iron, 40% magnesium, 41% manganese, 75% phosphorous, 42% selenium, 47% thiamin and 22% zinc.
I'm also presently experimenting adding a little dissolved yeast to the batter to see if I can introduce the flavor and smell of yeast to this bread.