A Recipe for Celiac Awareness Month: Gluten-Free Almond-Flax Bread

Happy Celiac Awareness Month!

Celiac disease has become more "mainstream" in the past few years as food companies are viewing it as an area for market expansion and releasing lots of different gluten-free products on the market. Blogs are giving people with celiac disease a voice, allowing them to share their experience with celiac, gluten-free recipes and reviews of gluten-free products. Naturopaths and other alternative health practitioners are also pointing their fingers at gluten, saying that it's difficult to digest and advising people – celiac or not – to eliminate it from their diets. But what's celiac disease all about anyway? Why do people with celiac disease have to avoid gluten? What makes gluten-free cooking and baking so difficult?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that causes an intolerance to gluten, one of the types of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is what gives stretchiness to dough and springiness to breads and cakes. When a person with celiac consumes gluten, it flattens the villi extending from the walls of the small intestine, which decreases its ability to absorb nutrients. This can lead to symptoms like indigestion, nausea, bloating, cramping, gas, diarrhea and constipation. Others develop a rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. Because symptoms vary greatly from person to person, celiac disease can be very difficult to diagnose! A survey conducted by the Canadian Celiac Association among its members found that on average it took them 11 years before they reached a diagnosis!

There is no cure for celiac disease – the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life. Navigating through all the different gluten-free grains – quinoa, cornmeal/polenta, buckwheat and millet are just a few of the examples – is an adventure within itself, but gluten-free baking is a whole other can of worms! Instead of keeping a giant bag of whole wheat or all-purpose flour in their pantry, many gluten-free cooks have to resort to little bags of flours and starches, each with their own taste, texture and nutrition profile. Gluten-free baked goods are often denser, have a softer, mushier texture and contain less fibre than their gluten-containing counterparts. However, as more cooks and bakers experiment with these different flours, gluten-free baked goods are getting closer to the “real thing”, and some gluten-free foods have their own unique flavours and textures that stand out on their own.

For my first foray into gluten-free baking, I chose a simple quick bread recipe from Elana's Pantry that only uses two "flours" - almond flour and flaxseed meal. I made so many changes to it that I'm sure Elana wouldn't want her name on it because she is someone who is very particular about her ingredients and equipment!


While she recommends using a loaf pan of such rare dimensions that it's hard to find even on the Internet, I chose to multiply out the amounts of the recipe to fit in a regular 8½ × 4½" loaf pan. While she recommends not using Bob's Red Mill almond flour, that was the kind I bought. While she uses agave nectar for its low glycemic index, the store was out of stock (and it's pretty pricey anyway) so I just replaced it with honey.


I took some cues from Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and separated the eggs to beat up the egg whites to give the bread a little more lift (while avoiding using four eggs!) though in the end I think I was a little too zealous. They're still pretty, no?

    
The recipe calls for caraway, which I've left as "optional" if you like your bread a little more neutral, but it's highly recommended as it gives the bread a unique, licorice-y flavour.


Not only is this recipe simple, but it still gives a top-notch gluten-free loaf. The almond and flax give the loaf a "gritty" texture that gets rid of the usual mushy texture of gluten-free breads, yet they're both high in fat to help keep the bread moist. Nutritionally, they are also higher in fibre than most gluten-free flours. The loaf is still small compared to the breads you'd find at the store, and higher in calories than most of its gluten-containing counterparts but since this experiment was so easy I hope I'll be able to find more time to keep experimenting!

Gluten-Free Flax Seed Loaf
Adapted from Elana's Pantry
Makes 1 loaf

• 1½ cups (375 mL) blanched almond flour
  
• 1 cup (250 mL) flaxseed meal
  
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
  
• ¾ tsp (4 mL) baking soda
  
• 1 tsp (5 mL) cream of tartar
  
• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
  
• ½ cup (125 mL) water
  
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) honey
  
• 1-2 tbsp (15-30 mL) caraway seeds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8.5 x 4.5” loaf pan.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, flax, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine egg yolks, oil, water and honey.
   
4. In another bowl, beat egg whites until they stiffen, but before they form small peaks.
   
5. Mix dry ingredients with egg yolk mixture, then fold in egg whites and mix in caraway seeds. Allow batter to sit for 1-2 minutes to thicken.
   
6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
   
7. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Nutrition Info (per ½" slice): 139 calories, 11 g fat (1 g saturated), 37 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrate (4 g fibre, 1 g sugar), 5 g protein, 139 mg sodium. An excellent source of magnesium. A good source of manganese.