Easy Lentil Bread (Gluten Free + Vegan)

- Amanda

It seems crazy to me that I’ve only recently begun making lentil bread. But, I’m so glad I discovered this recipe a few months back and have been experimenting with it so I can share it with you today. This Easy Lentil Bread is life changing. That might sound a little nuts. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. While all bets are kind of off these days, in pre-pandemic life, I didn’t eat bread during the week. It was a choice. (A silly one you may think.) But since, there’s no way I have the willpower to give up a treat (particularly ice cream,) I decided I could save my other big food love, bread, for the weekends. I gotta say it wasn’ that hard and if we happened to be out dining somewhere on a weeknight, then obviously I indulged. And of course, when it comes to simit, that doesn’t count. It’s not bread anyways. It’s a tradition. See this post. …

Back to this recipe though. This hunk of a protein packed “bread” impersonator has made the most delicious of avocado toasts a possibilty for me, any day of the week. And I’m telling you, this really makes one mean piece of avo toast. And I have Camilla over at Power Hungry, to thank for this. Her site is great and jam- packed with tons of healthy, plant-based recipes. Who can’t use more of those, right?

And this wonderful loaf of bread is no exception. I have to say though, the key to enjoying this to the maximum, is the toasting. It’s good when not toasted but can’t compete with some of the gluten-ous powerhouses out there when we’re talking about just grabbing a slice to nibble on.

Buuut, when you get the edges really nice and crispy, like super crispy, (don’t slice it too thin,) then smother on that nutrient-packed creamy green goodness that is avocado, add some fresh tomato slices, a little sea salt and perhaps TJ’s Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, you end up with perfection. Your power breakfast/ lunch/ snack/ whatever, whenever is served. It so hits the spot and you can feel good about eating it. And while my kids don’t go as crazy for this bread as I do, Mr. T definitely chowed down on some of the previosly mentioned loaded avo toast (sans the tomato,) and asked for a repeat slice. (We’re still working on Miss Picky, aka little Miss Sparkle over here.)

The process for making this is really straight forward. Blend the lentils up with some water and salt in a strong blender to get it nice and creamy then mix it up with a little baking powder, ground flax seeds and cornstarch (to help with a nice and soft texture.) Then you pour it into the pan and bake. Easy, right? The only super important thing to make sure when you want to make this is that you plan ahead enough to be able to let the lentils soak for somewhere between 6 and 24 hours. I personally think 12-16 is most ideal, but 6 will also get the lentils soft enough to puree if you’re in a pinch. You can get creative and add some herbs if you want and most lentils will work for this. Just weigh them out if you can rather than rely on a measuring cup. Different lentil varieties can have different weights.

I really do hope you’ll give this a try. And I’d love to hear if you do. Happy baking.

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Easy Lentil Bread (Vegan + Gluten Free)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Soaking time 12 hours
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) lentils (brown, green or split red are all fine)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsps water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 4 tsps ground flax seeds (not whole flax seeds)
  • 2 3/4 tsps baking powder

Instructions

  1. Begin by rinsing the lentils then placing them in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with enough water (room temp is fine) to cover the lentils by a couple inches. Soak the lentils for at least 6 and up to 24 hours.

  2. When you're ready to make the bread, preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F. Grease a 9×5" loaf pan and line it with parchment if desired for easier removal.

  3. When the lentils are done soaking, drain them and put them into a high-powered blender. Then add the water (1/2 c + 2 tbsps,) oil and salt. And process until the mixture is smooth. You will have to stop it every so often to scrape down the sides and make sure it's all getting blended.

  4. Then dump the lentil mixture into a large bowl and stir in the cornstarch, ground flax seeds and baking powder until completely blended then scrape the mixture into the prepped loaf pan. Bang the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and smooth over the top.

  5. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes until it starts to get a little golden brown on top. Start checking it at 40 minutes as oven temperatures vary. (As Camilla says, the bread will "sound hollow when it's tapped.")

  6. Remove the bread from the oven, immediately remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy.

  7. The bread can be kept tightly wrapped at room temp for 2 days or in the refrigerator for about 10 days. Or it can be frozen for several months.

Recipe Notes

*Different colored lentils vary in weight, so it’s best to weigh the 300 grams of lentils out when making this.

*Psyllium husk or ground chia seeds can be used instead of the ground flax seeds.

*Arrowroot starch or tapioca starch can be used in place of the cornstarch.

*Recipe slightly adapted from Power Hungry.

2 thoughts on “Easy Lentil Bread (Gluten Free + Vegan)”

  1. Ok, now I get it… I made this bread and have to say, once you remember to soak the lentils overnite, it really is easy. It came out fine. I tasted first slice while still warm and it tasted like lentils. It was ok. I love lentil soup, and lentils in salad, but never as bread. Then I toasted a couple slices. I tried it with avocado & tomatoes like the pictures. I tried it w/butter & honey, also strawberry jam. NOW I get it. The edges are crunchy, the texture so light, & all you really taste is what’s on top. Plus its so good for you, esp. the protein & calcium benefits. I’m all in!! Thank you Ms. Treats 👏🙃😘💕

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