This vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, bread has a super nutritious line-up of ingredients, including 5 different kinds of seeds, and a mixture of savory Mediterranean herbs and warm, earthy spices.
If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to white, or even whole wheat bread, look no further! This Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and contains no refined sugar. You’ll be hard-pressed to find bread with a more nutritious line-up of ingredients, including almond flour, brown rice flour, 5 different kinds of seeds, and a mixture of savory Mediterranean herbs and warm, earthy spices. This hearty, delicious bread takes a full hour to bake, but preparing the dough involves nothing more than combining all the ingredients thoroughly, and, since there’s no yeast in this recipe, there’s no extra time required for rising.
When I develop recipes I always look for the best way to emphasize the predominant flavors in whatever I’m making. Often, the addition of one or two ingredients can serve to highlight the best attributes of a dish, so it’s worth putting some time and effort into choosing these flavor enhancers. Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread is unique because it contains pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and ground flaxseeds, and since I wanted to draw as much attention as possible to this nutritious assortment of seeds, I infused the dough with a Mediterranean blend of herbs and spices known as Za’atar. You can’t help but taste all of the seeds in this bread (5 in total if you count the sesame seeds that are in the spice blend), but their flavor is amplified big-time by the Za’atar, which gives this bread a decidedly Mediterranean flair. I purchased the Za’atar used in this recipe but you can easily make your own. Check out this Bon Appétit article for instructions.
Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread is moist and extremely dense – not at all like the fluffy, white, nutritionally void bread most of us are used to. To serve, cut the loaf into very thin slices and be aware that it may appear a little bit raw, especially in the middle. This is normal and does not mean the bread is undercooked. If you don’t like the texture as is, simply toast the slices before eating. And if you’re not planning on eating all the bread the day it’s made, store it in the freezer. To do so, lay the cut slices in single layers, separated by parchment paper, on a baking sheet and freeze. Once completely frozen, transfer to a freezer safe plastic bag or other storage container. You can toast the slices straight from the freezer or let them come to room temperature on their own – they defrost quickly, usually within 30 minutes depending on how thick they’re cut.
For other healthy, unique bread recipes check out, Pepita Quinoa Chia Bread, Kefir Flatbreads, Miracle Microwave Gluten-Free Bread Slices, Almond Flour Flatbread Sandwiches, and Gluten-Free Cheesy Ruffle Bread.
If you make Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me over on Instagram @QueenofMyKitchen. I’d love to see your creation!
Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1½ cup (6 ounces) almond flour
- 1½ cups (7½ ounces) pepitas (raw no shell pumpkin seeds)
- 1½ cups (9 ounces) brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup (2½ ounces) unsalted dry roasted sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup (48 grams) psyllium fiber powder
- 1/4 cup Za’atar seasoning blend (see notes #1)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2½ cups water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh herbs (for top garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a standard 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with olive oil cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients except the fresh herbs. Add the water, applesauce, and olive oil, and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. Transfer dough to the prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula or your hands, give the top surface of the dough a slight dome shape to resemble a loaf of bread made with yeast. (The dough is quite stiff and will hold its shape as it bakes.) Decorate the top of the dough with fresh herbs, pressing them gently into the dough.
- Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 1 hour. Let cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting into thin slices. Store any bread you won’t eat within a day in the freezer (see notes #2).