Workhorse Multigrain Sandwich Bread

(vegan, gluten-free)

This is your workhorse sandwich bread that you will make over and over again. It doesn’t shape into the most beautiful loaf, but it is vegan and gluten-free, easy to make, rises beautifully, tastes great, has a good texture and crumb, and has about four times the fiber of commercial whole wheat bread.

Psyllium fiber is the new magic ingredient for gluten-free vegan bread. It absorbs water into a gel that gives the bread the moisture and structure it needs without eggs, but doesn’t leave the bread tasting gritty. It’s the darndest thing.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2½ cups warm water, divided (about 110°F)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ cup ground psyllium powder
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (or other mild tasting vegetable oil)
• 3 tablespoons honey, sorghum syrup, or maple syrup
• 1½ cups millet flour
• 1 cup sorghum flour
• ½ cup tapioca starch
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
• ½ teaspoon kala namak (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix together yeast, 1/2 cup water, and granulated sugar in medium-sized bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbles start to form.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together psyllium and 2 cups of water until no lumps remain. Let sit to hydrate for about 5 minutes, then whisk in oil and liquid sweetener.
4. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together millet flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, salt, and kala namak in large mixing bowl.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in small batches and mix with electric mixer on medium speed for 4-6 minutes until all ingredients are well mixed and there are no pockets of psyllium. Dough will be wet and sticky, but thick.
6. Press dough into a greased Pullman loaf pan or other steep-walled loaf pan. Smooth the top with wet hands or a wet spatula. Cover and let rise for about 40 minutes or until double in height.
7. Bake bread in middle of the oven for 60-70 minutes. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, should not hiss (sound of water vapor being released), and should feel much lighter. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

NOTES

1. Bread can be stored on the counter in the Pullman loaf pan or a closed bread box for a couple of days. If the bread will not be eaten within a couple of days, it should be sliced and frozen.
2. The kala namak, also called black salt, adds an eggy flavor to baked goods. When first added to the dough, it will smell sulfurous, but the nasty smell disappears after baking.
3. If using psyllium husks instead of psyllium powder, you may need to slightly increase the amount of psyllium by 2-3 tablespoons.

Makes 1 loaf, 20-24 slices

NUTRITION

Per slice (24): 100 calories, 2.3g fat, 3.1g fiber, 1.5g protein

Per slice (20): 120 calories, 2.8g fat, 3.7g fiber, 1.8g protein