Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to preview Heather Crosby’s new book, Yum Universe, while it was in the final stages of production. Yum Universe is a guidebook to living a gluten-free, plant-based, vibrant whole food life, and includes oodles of healthy recipes, photographs, and tips to get you started. Many of you may know Heather’s inspiring blog by the same name and if you’ve read for any length of time, you know how passionate she is about a plant-based lifestyle. A former veggie-phobe, she now loves to encourage others to make positive changes in their own diets. I’ve especially enjoyed her YU Should Know series where she interviews other plant-based enthusiasts about how they’ve made the shift (you might remember my interview with her in the spring!).
Today, I’m sharing one of my favourite recipes from Yum Universe – Heather’s Toasted Super Seed Power Bread. It’s a recipe I’ve made a dozen times now and it never lasts longer than a few days in this house. It’s loaded with chia seeds, pepita seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds (my addition), and the only flour you’ll find in this bread is high-protein chickpea flour. I expect you could easily make this nut-free by swapping out the almonds for another seed. My brother in law likes to call this “bird seed bread” which I can’t really argue with. I love me some bird seed!! Think: Mary’s Crackers meets bread. It reminds me of Sarah’s Life Changing Loaf of Bread, which I’ve made in the past and also loved. I’m all about this trend of bread moving from nutrient-void to nutrient-packed. Bring it on.
Speaking of nutrient-packed, each small slice boasts 6.1 grams of protein and 4.6 grams of fibre (I calculated the nutritional info in the recipe notes below, just for curiosity). It’s also loaded with healthy fats. If you enjoy a hearty slice of crunchy, chewy bread this recipe is for you. Some people I served this to were expecting a traditional fluffy bread, so just be warned that it doesn’t produce the traditional bread we grew up with. It won’t be for everyone, but hey…more for us, right? I really think you have to try it at least once! To be honest, I would take a slice of this bread over the regular stuff any day. Bird seed for life.
Try it toasted with a pat of coconut oil on top. Minds will be blown. Stomachs will do happy dances.
I couldn’t help but play around with the recipe a tiny bit, so I’ll let you know my modifications in the headnote. Let us know what you think of it if you do try it out! Thanks Heather for letting me share your recipe today. Be sure to check out her book – Yum Universe – in bookstores now!
Heather's Toasted Super Seed Power Bread
Yield
14 slices
Soak time
1 hour
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A hearty, crunchy, chewy, high-protein and fibre bread free of gluten! What's not to love? This recipe is lightly adapted from Heather Crosby's Yum Universe cookbook (2014). Some of the changes I made to this recipe are the following: Instead of letting the dough sit overnight, I was impatient (nothing new here!) and only let it sit for an hour. To my delight, it still worked out lovely. Just a tip in case you are short on time or patience like me. I didn't have any poppy seeds on hand so I subbed them with hemp hearts which adds a nice bit of complete protein and healthy fats, however my loaf is lacking those beautiful specks of black seeds. I imagine that you could change up the nuts and seeds as you see fit in this recipe. It's pretty versatile! Lastly, I used coconut sugar instead of Sucanat and I used thinly sliced almonds instead of whole almonds (so it would be easier to slice). I don't recommend skipping the toasting step - I tried this recipe both ways and taking the time to toast the nuts/seeds/oats in the beginning resulted in a more flavourful loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup pepita seeds
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1/4 cup hemp hearts
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or granulated sugar of choice)
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325F and grab an extra large baking sheet. Add the oats, sesame seeds, pepita seeds, almonds, and sunflower seeds onto baking sheet. Spread out evenly and toast in the oven for 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. The dough will be very watery at first, but thanks to the psyllium husk powder and chia, it will thicken up quickly. After stirring, cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it sit for around an hour on the countertop. The dough will be very thick.
- Lightly grease a small loaf pan (9" x 5") and then line it with a piece of parchment paper so you can easily pull the loaf out. Scoop the dough into the loaf pan and press it down firmly and evenly.
- Bake the loaf at 325F for 30 minutes. Grab a baking sheet. Now remove the pan from the oven and carefully lift out the loaf. Carefully, flip the loaf upside down onto the baking sheet and bake it for another 45-50 minutes, uncovered, watching closely during the end of the bake time. The loaf will be lightly golden and firm when ready.
- Cool loaf completely on a cooling rack. Slice and enjoy! I love toasting this bread and spreading some coconut oil on top. It's just divine. Also try it with avocado and hummus, jam, or vegan butter.
Tip:
Nutritional info (per slice, based on 14 slices per loaf): 157 cals, 10.5 g fat, 130 mg sodium, 10.9 g carbs, 4.6 g fibre, 1.5 g sugar, 6.1 g protein
Notes: 1) Heather says you can use 1/4 cup psyllium husks instead of the 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder. Where to find the psyllium husk powder? I've had success finding it in the vitamin/protein powder aisle of Whole Foods. 2) Do not skip the psyllium husk powder - it binds the loaf together. 3) Feel free to toss in finely chopped dried fruit like dried cranberries.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
I got word yesterday that The Oh She Glows Cookbook advanced to the semi-final round in the Goodreads Choice Awards! Thanks to those of you who voted last week! If you’d like to see the cookbook advance to the final round you can vote again in the Best Food & Cookbooks of 2014. This round of voting is open until November 15th. hugs!
This definitely looks like birdseed bread, but I’m sure it’s delicious!
I saw your book in Barnes and Noble weeks ago and spastically told my now-Husband, “I KNOW HER!” Like Buddy the Elf. He looked at me strange.
hah…you are getting me excited to watch Elf this season!
This looks absolutely DEVINE. My kind of bread.
This sounds awesome! So excited to try it! Do you know the shelf life or best way to preserve part of the loaf? Freezing ok?
Yes freezing works great! Just be sure to cool it completely first.
I also store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or so.
To give you an idea…..I made the original Life Changing Loaf of Bread twice for a friend. First loaf, she took on a two week road trip, in a cooler, from Vancouver to Whitehorse Yukon with a couple of stops on the way and it was fine when they dug into it once she reached her destination. The second trip, the same friend took a individually sliced and vacuum packed loaf of the same bread, when she walked the Camino (approx 500 miles/800 km) with no refrigeration, stored in her backpack. She ate a piece a day for almost 3 weeks before she had to throw the remainder out. Myself, I definitely would have done the cooler thing but I don’t think I would have carried the bread on the Camino. Just sayin’… When I make the bread for myself, I eat half, freeze half. I will be trying this version soon, I am intrigued with the addition of the chickpea flour.
This looks amazingly healthy! My dad has PD and we’re always looking for high fiber recipes so I’m shooting this one over to the ‘rents….bonus-dad loves seeds. I’m going to go ahead and cast a vote for your book too ;)
Congratulations on being in the semi-finals! I bought your cookbook during the summer and it has become my primary go-to. I love how creative your recipes are. You’ve inspired me to start doing some food blogging too, so thank you! :) I will be sure to vote for you.
This looks super dense! (and I mean that in a good and nutritional, way!)
Oooh, this looks delish! I could even see cutting this smaller and using it for appetizers!
Love that idea. I was also thinking it would be amazing cubed and toasted to use as croutons.
I am trying out with breakfast this days and this looks just like something I would love with some chia jam and a hot chocolate cup.
Same questions as Sara because i am pretty sure i will be the only one eating this kind of bread. What’s the best way to enjoy this bread longer ?
it freezes well! I also store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I love the texture of this bread!!! I would definitely give it a try!
Oh my goodness, that is such an excellent idea!! The flax/seed breads have always been my favourites, so this looks right up my alley!
I wrote my email in the link above ^ instead of my blog, so perhaps delete that comment?
Oh my goodness, that is such an excellent idea!! The flax/seed breads have always been my favourites, so this looks right up my alley!
I am always looking for delicious new breads to try and I LOVE how healthy this looks! I will definitely be making this, and checking out her gorgeous cookbook!
Beautiful!
I need to get my hands on that cookbook and some psyllium husk powder to make this yummy bread! It sounds so hearty and delicious! I think I’d love it warm with some almond butter on top! Yumm!!!
This bread looks amazing! I’ve seen a few of the recipes from this book on blogs lately and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Wowza, that bread looks good. Perhaps I am some kind of sub-human monster, but I have come to dislike bread…even the gluten-free and sprouted versions. The photos of this bread, however, made my mouth water. I will definitely be giving it a shot; who knows, maybe it will change my mind.
Just wondering, did you toast your hemp seeds before mixing them in, and if I use poppy seeds, ought I to toast them, or no? Or is this a personal preference sort of thing?
I love that this is LOADED with all kinds of goodness!
This looks so earthy and delicious! I’m a huge fan of these seedy loaves, so I bet I’ll love this! Thanks for sharing another version of a favorite!
I’m going back to grain-free eating and oatmeal is a no no besides it rips my stomach apart :( and this looks absolutely wonderful! Any substitute for oatmeal possibly? If not, I guess I’ll go back to drooling over the pictures! haha….Thanks!
Im not sure if the oats are “essential” to make this bread work or not. Maybe Heather has tried it out? If you do try it, let us know. :) You might be able to reduce the water a tiny bit and leave out the oats. Not sure…
I have used rolled quinoa instead and it was really delicious!
I’ve seen recipes for loaves like this several times, but have yet to try it because I’m like you and I don’t want to wait for it overnight. Given this recipe though, I won’t worry anymore. I’ll just make it in the afternoon and get excited for the evening! Thanks for sharing:)
Hi, this looks great! Can I use a substitute for psyllium husk? Is it necessary?
Hello, I’m just wondering where you get your certified gluten free rolled oats? I went into Community Natural Foods and they told me that you can’t get certified gluten free oats in Canada, only wheat free. Have you found them somewhere else? Thanks for your time!
You can buy them online. I like vitacost.com. Their prices are good and they have a bunch of other vegan products, including psyllium husk powder.
I’m a long-time fan of Yum Universe and am so enjoying the new book. I shared my review and the Orange Pepita Granola recipe on my blog http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/10/31/orange-pepita-granola-yum-universe-book-giveaway/
Haven’t tried this bread yet but I need to asap!
what a fabulous recipe, the exact sort of thing I like when I don’t want to eat regular kind of bread but still want some bready-seedy!
I bet this is such a good thing to have on hand as a busy mama! I made Sarah’s loaf once and have no idea why I haven’t made it again. I’ll have to give this one a try, too. <3
Great recipe! I made it today and it turned out perfectly but I needed to use 4 cups of water. I started out using 2 cups, according to the recipe, but it didn’t seem to be enough to moisten all the ingredients. I love your website and cookbook. Good luck on the Goodreads Choice Award.
Oh my that looks delicious! So nutrient packed and I am sure it would be fantastic with jam.
Such a delicious bread…something I’ll certainly try out on my toddler..so many nutrients!
This looks and sounds crazy! I don’t miss an opportunity to try your cookie recipes and they are the best. Pinned!!!!! Anyways if anyone is looking for good chocolate candies feel free to go to thecandylandstore.com
That looks incredible. My favorite breads have always been the seedy chewy ones, so this is right up my alley.
I am allergic to chickpeas though! What flours are similar to it that I might try to sub? I find that almond flour almost always works as a sub in gluten free baking. I might try that!
Hi Michelle ~ Did you end up using almond flour? Did it work??? I was going to ask the same question. I have almond flour at home that I would rather use. Would love to hear how it came out for you!
Would it work to use whole wheat flour as the base instead of chickpea flour and psyllium husks? I’m on a student budget and not worried about gluten, but the seediness of that bread looks divine
I have a completely non-recipe related question (although the recipe looks delicious)! May I ask where you bought your cookbook holder? I am in the market for one and I love the design of yours!
Mmmmm I made this last night and it was delicious! I love that this bread actually has nutritional value. Thanks for another great recipe!
Oh my goodness this is perfect. I’ve seen her cookbook pop up in the blog world just about everywhere and I can’t wait to get my hands on one. Pinning this recipe!
I love the Life Changing Loaf! Somehow I had never even heard of Heather’s blog before… but I think I might be needing this book.
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
A big spoonful of that dough with all the crunchy seeds looks sooo good right now! I’m sure it’s even better cooked. This is the only kind of break I like – dense and homemade! Can’t wait to try and congrats on having a kick ass cookbook :)
Oo this book looks awesome! I swear Ive made this loaf before. I originally found it on the blog My New Roots. I believe the loaf was called The Life Changing Loaf of Bread. Anyway there were roasted hazelnuts in it and it was amazing! I still have quite a bit of psyllium husk left over so Ill be sure to try this loaf! Thanks again for the great post and recipe!!
Mandy Dugas @MandysHealthyLife.com
looks really yummy!! I love seedy bread!
Jennifer
Wow. Normally I avoid bread like the plague but this, this is a loaf I can seriously get behind, into, onto whatever…Can’t you just go ahead and mail me a loaf!
This looks fabulous! Am going to make this week but have a couple of quick questions… are all seeds in the recipe raw (not toasted or roasted)? And, if I want to use poppy seeds instead of hemp hearts, is the conversion 1-to-1 (a quarter cup of poppy seeds)? Thanks for the great recipe!
I used raw seeds/nut and then toasted them as per the instructions in step 1. I think the original recipe used 1/2 cup poppy seeds, but 1/4 cup would work too. Hope this helps!
This looks wonderful, and I plan on making it.
I have a big bag of flaxmeal here, and wondered if I could substitute the psyllium husks with the flaxmeal. I often make flaxmeal bread and it binds together well.
Thank you for your help.
Did you make the bread with flax meal instead of psyllium? I’m wanting to try this as well.
Hello Emmy,
No, I haven’t been able to make the bread yet.
I did an online search for psylium husk replacement in baking, and some have reported success with a flaxmeal replacement. You may need to ‘ play ‘ around with the recipe a little. Good luck, and if anyone else has suggestions they will be greatly received.
I made this bread last night, and it was so delicious. I’m not gluten free, so I make lots of wheat bread, and thus was way tastier than most breads I’ve ever made.
recieved my yumuniverse book downunder this week.My first recipie is this bread which is in the oven right now. Cant wait to give it a try even my hubby thought it looked great
woa, that bread is seriously nutty! I think I need to make this!
Ooooh my.. yet another cookbook I need to add to my collection. This one’s going on my Christmas list for sure! I don’t know how it’s possible that I didn’t already know about Heather’s blog but she now has a new loyal follower and I can’t wait to make some of her recipes. This bread looks delicious Ange! :)
What a gorgeous loaf of bread! Wow! I could see using this as a crostini for holiday appetizers! It will also be the perfect hostess gift as we visit friends/family over the new two months! Thanks for sharing!
oh my gosh looks incredible. and healthy!
Woah! This is some loaf! Kinda intense looking, but in a good way. This would be a great recipe for the household. We have a fair amount of gluten-less people who love a hearty slice of anything warm with coconut oil. Thanks for sharing your sneak peak!
There is a 365 ‘birdseed bread’ at whole foods that I absolutely love – I bet this is just as good if not better! Congrats on making it to the semi-finals – just voted! So well deserved! I think I cooked my way through your book for guests this past weekend – there were so many happy bellies! :-)
Do you know where a good place to find pepita seeds would be? I might just end up going out and getting a pumpkin and using the pumpkin seeds if I can’t find any :D
Pumpkin seeds are pepitas!
I made this yesterday and it was amazing and it’s even better today. My partner loved it too. I did have to bake it extra long, like 70 minutes I’m guessing because I live at a higher altitude. I wonder if it could be baked at s higher temperature. I’ll try that next time. Angela, thanks for posting this. And I’m loving your cookbook!