Dark Teff Sandwich Bread

Here I present to you a gluten-free yeast bread, sweetened with honey, reminiscent of whole wheat bread. Dark and hearty, full of whole grain goodness that is usually deplete in gluten-free breads. Because of teff's amazing nutrition profile this bread is higher in protein and iron than most of its gluten-free counterparts.

I tested this recipe a number of times, each time changing one aspect of the ingredient list. I finally settled on this version, knowing it was a winner because of how fast it disappeared in our house.

Although bread really isn't a staple in our house like it used to be, I think we will be making this recipe again and again. It is just very handy to have something ready-made for busy days. My 14 month old twins love eating this bread toasted and spread with pumpkin seed butter. My 4-year old and I eat it toasted and spread with almond butter and sour cherry jam. (I buy organic, fruit-sweetened jam from the company Bionaturae).

I know I have mentioned arrowroot powder in previous posts but I wanted to say it again here because it is a main ingredient in this recipe. Arrowroot can be cross-contaminated with gluten if processed in a facility that also mills wheat.

I used to purchase our arrowroot in bulk at our local co-op but then one day I decided I wanted to save money and special order a larger amount. When my order came in I wondered if they had given me someone else's order. The 5 pound paper package was covered with pictures of wheat and it sure had the look and feel of a bag of wheat flour. Of course I found the little sticker that read "Arrowroot" but it got me wondering. So I contacted the company to talk to them. They never responded but it didn't matter I already knew the answer.

Cross-contamination!

Just a little bit of gluten that could be hiding in that bag of arrowroot could have sent Tom and our now 4-year old daughter into a week of agonizing you-know-what. So we returned the arrowroot. And this is when I fell in love with the company Authentic Foods. All of their products are gluten-free so no need to fret. One of our local Health Food Stores, Terra Organica, sells many of the Authentic Foods products, including arrowroot. You can also buy it online here.

For those of you who are curious, our local co-op sells arrowroot in bulk from another company, Glory Bee Foods, different from the company I had special ordered it from. I have not had time to contact this company to check and see if it is gluten-free. If someone does, please let me know.

Interested in more whole grain teff recipes?

Please check out our Teff Pancakes, Teff Breakfast Muffins, or Chocolate Chip Teff Banana Bread.

Now on to my super yummy bread recipe...

Dark Teff Sandwich Bread

This bread is dark and rich with a full-bodied flavor. It is excellent toasted and spread with almond butter or pumpkin seed butter.

1 ½ cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
1 package dry active yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
1 teaspoon organic cane sugar or maple sugar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
2 cups teff flour
½ cup arrowroot powder
½ cup tapioca flour
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt

Oil an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan (I use glass).

Place the warm water and teaspoon of sugar into a small bowl (a 2-cup liquid measure works well). Make sure the water is the right temperature. If the water is too cold the yeast will not become active and if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast. Add the yeast and stir. Proof the yeast by allowing it to stand for 5 to 10 minutes. It should become bubbly, if not start over with fresh yeast and water.

Add honey, oil, and ground flax seeds. Stir well with a fork or wire whisk until it feels a bit like egg whites. The warm water will cause the flax to form a gel which helps to bind this bread.

In a large bowl, add the teff flour arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and sea salt. Combine the flours with a wire whisk. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk them together as you are pouring to avoid lumps. Continue to whisk for another 60 seconds or so, or until the dough thickens and becomes smooth. You may need to finish mixing this with a large wooden spoon as the teff flour will absorb a lot of moisture.

Transfer dough to an oiled 8 x 4-inch loaf pan using a silicone spatula; shape into a loaf form using the spatula. Place pan, uncovered, in a very warm spot to rise. I like to place boiling water into a 9 x 13-inch pan and then place the bread pan inside of that. Let rise for about one hour or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

After the bread has risen, place pan into the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove and place onto a wire rack to cool. Wait, if you can, to slice the bread until it has cooled a bit. © Alissa Segersten/Whole Life Nutrition 2009

Please let me know your results if you make this! I always appreciate hearing your feedback. Thanks and Happy Baking! :)