Monday, May 28, 2012

Rosemary Olive Bread – Elana’s Pantry


I made bread this last week with huge success!  That is, if you measure success by making something for the first time and it is edible, which this absolutely was.

I don’t dream about buttered toast anymore, but every once in a while I get hungry for it.  I had been wanting to make some of the quick breads in Elana Amsterdam’s cookbook, The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook (click here for Elana's blog), but the missing ingredient was sourcing arrowroot powder.  I eventually found some at Amazon and it arrived last Tuesday.  The secret ingredients to Paleo bread are arrowroot powder and almond butter.

Arrowroot and almond flour

All from Costco - you can certainly use stevia instead of agave

Kalamatas and rosemary from my herb garden

I made the dough, and it was sweet.  I was skeptical how good sweet bread with rosemary and chopped kalamatas would taste, but the baked product was nothing like the raw dough.
Bread dough - funky, huh?

A pan that is too big will yield stumpy bread

Stumpy but tasty!

We’ve been eating it throughout the week, and it has been delicious!  I have to say that the bread tastes better toasted rather than not, and you may want to spread it with something a little salty: grass-fed butter (Kerry’s Gold – at Costco), goat cheese, olive tapenade or a homemade tomato compote.

I baked the dough in the wrong pan and it came out flat, looking like biscotti when sliced.  I will better follow the directions and cook it in a smaller pan next time so I get a better bread loaf.

In my amateur calculation, I think the net carb count is around 60 grams for the entire recipe.  If you are in Atkins Induction, this is not a good choice, but at all other phases a skinny slice (we get about 12 slices out of this recipe) with some fat (see above) is a nice snack.
Rebekah

7 comments:

Ank said...

SO cool! I might try the recipe too! I have a cool recette for tart using 200g of almond flour ( I just grate almonds in a mill) and 6 eggs. If you're interested I can translate it and sent it to you. Like an exchange of recipies. I will def try this bread if I find that powder :)

Mummaducka said...

I think I have bought arrowroot powder before, in the health food section of the stupidmarket. WE have these biscuits here in Oz called Milk Arrowroot- made by arnotts and people raise their babies on them- yuk- but they are nice dipped in coffee or tea! I wonder if it is the same stuff in them?

Anonymous said...

@ Ank - Thank you, and I have an almond flour recipe for a tart (I love almond flour)! What's your favorite low-carb tart recipe - do you use fruit or a different filling?
@Jodie - I'm sure the biscuits are made out of arrowroot powder/flour. Arrowroot has lots of carbs, so it should be used in moderation (the recipe I used calls for 1/4 cup - I don't know what the metric equivalent is). I was just so excited to find a string of recipes that give me a little toast a couple of days a week!

Ank said...

I use mascarpone cheese mixed with some sugar-substitute ( fruit fructose, stevia, etc) and some pureed strawberries or some orange juice. the result is a delicious cream. can be topped of with raspberries but they're not in season yet.
Ok The recipie is:
For the base. Mill 250 g of almonds ( I have a nut mill)or use 250 g of almond flour. Separate 6 eggs. Beat the whites very stiff. Mix the yolks with 2 or 3 spoons of fructose ( it's not much of a big quantity for me) , the almond flour and the juice of half or a whole orange ( depending of how juicy it is). Mix 5 g ( half a sachet) of baking powder with the juice from half the lemon and add it in the mix. Then incorporate gently the whites ( like folding for a macaroon , gently with up an down movements). Pour the batter in a tart pan and bake 25-30 mins at 180 degrees Celsius. ( I use a baking sheet, but you can grease and dust the pan). Then when it's hot you can add a small layer of sugar-free jam, or just the mascarpone and fruit filling. Or other favorite filling :)

Ank said...

I also have a bean cake recipe. Not as delicate as the almond tart one, but delicious nonetheless. Have you explored the world of bean baking?

Anonymous said...

@ Ank - the tart sounds yummy! I've done something similar with cream cheese and pumpkin puree, as well as cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla stevia.

I haven't explored bean baking because beans make me really ill. I have a friend who's Vietnamese and she makes all sorts of bean-based goodies. Alas, I can't indulge!

Ank said...

@Rebekah Cream cheese sounds yummy. I'm not sure exactly what it is though. But I should def try something with pumpkin puree!
( Beans making you sad makes me sad )