The term “Brown Bread” was often used to describe breads made with large amounts of whole grain flours, usually, a combination of whole wheat, rye and corn, and then sweetened with molasses or maple syrup. Leavening is through baking soda rather than yeast, and raisins are often added. These breads were typically cooked by pouring the batter into a coffee can and then steamed in a kettle. The history of brown bread dates back to the mid 1800’s in both Ireland and England.

Because many of my clients have food sensitivities, I elected to avoid the gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, rye and barley. The bread is actually grain free, with the majority of the “flour” coming from ground flaxseed, an excellent plant source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential fat that our bodies need but cannot make. They have been shown to reduce inflammation, as well as lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and arthritis. They have also been proven helpful in lowering cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. Each slice of bread contains 2400 mg of these helpful fats. I elected to use Stevia as the sweetener, to help lower the amount of carbohydrate. Due to the high fiber content, each slice has only 2g of net carbs.

Ingredients:

2 cups brown or golden flaxseed meal

1 cup almond flour

2 Tbsp TruVia

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp salt

4 large organic, omega-3 eggs

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other unsweetened milk)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Spray a 4-1/2” x 8” loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flax meal, almond flour, Stevia, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.  Whisk until mixed.
4. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, water and oil.  Mix at medium-low speed until thoroughly blended.  Add the flour mixture and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl then mix on medium-high speed for an addition 2 minutes to aerate the batter.  It should be smooth and pourable.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 1 hour, turning pan halfway through cooking. When done, the loaf should be golden brown and springy when pressed in the center. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf should come out clean.
6. Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Makes 16 slices; serving size 1 slice

Nutrition info:  Per slice – 140 calories, 10g fat, 0g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 49 mg cholesterol, 6g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 7g protein, 186mg sodium, 132 mg calcium, 2,400 mg omega-3 fatty acids.