Caraway Olive Bread (Gluten Free)

I made this loaf of bread somewhat spontaneously this week, and YUM! It's cracker-like because it is quite seedy (it's almost entirely seeds with just half a cup of nuts and some oats), but is chewy like bread. When I make it next I want to try grinding up the flax seeds because I don't like how flax gets stuck in my teeth, but even with that I would make this again. I ate this as is with some butter, and with an egg this morning. I actually ate 4 pieces of just barely warm bread because it was so good. The caraway and olives! I haven't had such tasty, savory bread in a really long time. It got me thinking that it is time for me to make pate or braunshweiger - they would be delicious on this. 

This recipe is from Sarah Britton’s My New Roots, which I stumbled across on a wellness website while searching for a new homeopath. The recipe is odd in that you do not use a bowl - everything is mixed in the loaf pan. Also, you need to let it sit out for many hours before baking so that the liquid absorbs. It's a strange texture, again a bit like seed based crackers - less like batter and more like, well, wet seeds/grains. But it works! 

Ingredients

• 1 c sunflower seeds
• ½ c flax seeds
• ½ c hazelnuts or almonds
• 1½ c glute free rolled oats
• 2 t Chia seeds
• 4 T psyllium seed husks (3 if using powder)
• 1 t fine sea salt
• 1 T caraway seed
• 1 T pure maple syrup
• 3 T coconut oil or ghee melted½
• ½ c kalamata olives pitted and chopped

Instructions

1. In a flexible silicone loaf pan or parchment lined loaf pan, combine sunflower and flax seeds, nuts, oats, chia seeds psyllium husks, sea salt, and caraway seeds, stirring well. 
   

2. Whisk the maple syrup, oil and 1 1/2 cups water together in a measuring cup.  Add this mixture plus the chopped olives to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is completely soaked and the dough becomes very thick ( if the dough is too thick to stir, add 1 or 2 tsp of water until it is manageable).  Smooth out the top with the back of the spoon.  Let sit out on the counter covered for at least 3 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F

4. Bake the loaf on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes (it may take longer till the top is bit dry.  Check it periodically).  Remove the bread from the loaf pan, turn it upside down directly onto the oven rack and bake for another 40 min to an hour.  The bread is done when it sounds hollow when it is tapped.  Let the bread cool completely before slicing; to slice it easily, use a very sharp, smooth knife instead of a serrated bread knife.

5. Store the bread in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  (It also freezes well so slice before freezing for quick and easy toast.)