The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread

This “Life-Changing Loaf of Bread” is the famous recipe that launched the wildly popular into the stratosphere of stardom. After reading about it for years, I had to try it for myself. I have to say, it is killer. I’m a sucker for the strong flavors of olives and caraway so this version appeals to me even more than the original. That said, if bread means flour + yeast = airy holes to you then you may want to call this something else because as delicious as it is, the slices are much more dense, crunchy, and flavorful than traditional wheat bread. When you read the ingredient list (seeds, nuts, oats, and a touch of liquid) it is both shocking and impressive that a sliceable loaf of bread, full of fiber and protein, is the end result. Try slathering a slice with smashed avocado, a sprinkle of chili flakes, and try to tell me that your life wasn’t changed…even a little bit.

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread with Olives & Caraway from My New Roots

Makes 1 loaf

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup hazelnuts or almonds

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

2 tablespoons chia seeds

4 tablespoons psyllium seed husks (3 tablespoons if using psyllium husk powder)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

3 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee, melted

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1. In a flexible silicone loaf pan (or a parchment-lined loaf pan) combine the sunflower and flax seeds, hazelnuts, 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 teaspoons of water until it is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter covered for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F.

4. Bake the loaf on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the bread from the loaf pan, turn it upside down directly onto the oven rack, and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes. (The bread is done when it sounds hollow when 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 freezes well, too, so slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!).