Sunday 23 June 2013

Bread of Life!

I spend alot of my time reading other food blogs. I read them like other people read newspapers or magazines, like every day. I find joy in being transported to their kitchen through stories, amusement in their anecdotes of their lifestyle and excitement in seeing the recipe unfold in pictures. There are so many food blogs out there these days, compared to when I first started blogging and many people had never even heard the word blog! However, certain ones stand out for me and keep me coming back over and over for uniqueness, creativity and breaking of boundaries. What I mean is, there are a million recipe blogs out there with the same recipe for raw cheesecake or a green smoothie. I mean I want something new, exciting, something that has sprouted from the writers own depth of imagination and deep passion of food and flavour. I admire some of the writers who I follow, and feel it essential for my work/play/passion to share, support and inspire one anothers own unique style and creativity. I like good food blogs, ones which break the mould and give something new and exciting to keep me believing that what I do is not so crazy! If the only people who understood how my brain works in terms of making food were these other bloggers, then that would be ok, because in the world of wholefoods, sometimes you can seem like a real weirdo to Mr normal on the street. Bless him, he has his passions too but I am grateful for these creative foodies out there who obviously think in a similar way to me. They remind me daily that doing what I do is amazing and cool!

I love the amazing photography on these sites, something I have decided this week that I am going to dedicate some of my time to learning. Through these pictures, I am transported into their kitchens, feeling the movements going into their dishes and get a slice of their lives through image. I love that. The stories which always make me smile, often relaying similar situations that I find myself in in my own kitchen, help me remember that cooking is a labour of love. We mess it up sometimes but we always mean well. The end result, the recipe, often simple but with the authors own twist that turns it special. Inspiring ingredients. Interesting facts. Colour, no beige-white food here. And always good for us, be it through being filled with superfoods or simply love-filled comfort food. Ok, I admit it. I'm a foodie who thinks, breathes, reads and eats good food every day and it makes me one very happy girl. I'm glad I chose food as my life passion and not base jumping or something, I'm glad I get to practice my passion multiple times a day!


So here's the story behind this post. One of my most favourite food blogs is My New Roots written by Sarah Britton. If you haven't ever looked at her site then you are in for a real treat.. Write off the rest of the day and put your feet up with a cup of tea and get stuck in! Now she recently caused a real stir on her site when she posted her recipe for her 'Life changing Loaf of bread'. 'How can a loaf of bread be life-changing?' I thought as I read her in depth post and instructions on what, seemed to have certainly been for her, life changing. It sounded good and interesting, so I gave it a go. Well, let me tell you it actually has changed my life, in a very good way too. Not only is her bread recipe super easy, quick and uses ingredients I always have in my pantry, it actually tastes a million times better than any other bread I have ever made. On top of that, my lovely partner, who loves my food but is always the first to let me know if something is not, in his mind, as good as a more traditional version, loves this bread as much as I do! Now that is saying something. I can throw this loaf together in 5 minutes, let it sit for a few hours before popping it in the oven and its good to go. And, as you will read when you read her post, it makes the best toast ever. Ever.

Bread to me has to be more than just bread. I like my bread full of stuff! Seeds, nuts, gimme texture and bite! Who ever thought that making bread as light and soft and white was the way forward. I received an amusing email from a friend of mine who is traveling South America at the moment, who said that all they want to feed her is said white fluff bread. 'The whiter the better' it seemed, she said. I hope that one day they will come to realise that refining their grains as much as possible is not only crazy from an economical perspective, but also health and taste related! Luckily, in Europe we seem to have mastered the art of making good quality artisan breads, using many different grains and other ingredients. I like my bread to be the kind that you could eat completely on its own with no topping, if you wished, full of texture and flavour.

For Sarahs recipe for her Life changing loaf of bread, look it up on her beautiful blog. Taking inspiration from her recipe, I wanted to try out making a raw bread. I'd tried making some raw breads before, but they were never very, urm, bread-like. More like chewy raw crackers. Not very convincing, Geoff would not approve let put it that way ; ) Here, I have basically taken Sarahs recipe and made a few very small changes before dehydrating it sliced up rather than baking. You can, as I often also do however make this same recipe and bake it. Dehydrated, it is dense, seedy, the perfect accompaniment to a raw soup or some raw dips or lathered with tahini and honey. Baked, I love it warm from the oven topped with ghee or coconut oil, or spread with my pesto and sliced avocado. Either way, its been a winner in our house and I am feeling excited about sharing this recipe with you now!

Thank you Sarah for changing our lives through a loaf of bread. May my Bread of Life fill your days with new inspiration and your bellies with healthful bliss!

Bread of Life
Makes 1 medium loaf
150g rolled oats (or almond flour if you want to make this totally raw and gluten-free)
90g flax seeds
135g sunflower seeds
90g Pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
4 tbsp psyllium husk powder
1 tsp sea salt
370ml water
3 tbsp Olive oil
1tbsp runny honey/sweet freedom syrup/maple syrup

In a large bowl, mix together the first seven dry ingredients. Measure out the water and add the oil and honey/syrup into the water. Using your hands, gradually mix the wet ingredients with the dry, until a ball forms. Press the dough into a silicon loaf tin or loaf tin lined with clingfilm. Leave for at least half an hour or up to overnight for the psyllium to swell. When ready to dry your loaf, press it out of the tin (it should come out easily) and using a large sharp knife, cut into slices 3/4 cm thick. Lay the slices onto a dehydrator mesh and dry at 42deg C for 6-8 hours (I do mine overnight) until dry but still bendy. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can lay the slices on a baking tray and dry in your oven on lowest temperature until dry (will take much less time and not be strictly 'raw'). You can then put all the slices back together and wrap up in clingwrap as a loaf, or store in an airtight container until ready for eating.

Bread of Life.. how will you enjoy yours?!

For a whole list of my favourite food blogs, check out my links page.