We bought a Spanish ham, or Jamon Serrano de Pata Negra, while in Spain and I’ve been having a bocadillo with olive oil, garlic, tomato and the ham every morning since we returned from Vietnam. If you’ve had this ham before, you know how heavenly it is! I just can’t get enough of it, especially since I usually only get to enjoy it when I am in Spain. It’s hard to get outside of Spain and not pay a fortune for it. We were lucky and this particular one we got was on sale, so even better!
However, in all this indulgence with the ham, I’m also indulging in something I don’t regularly eat, which is bread. So, I figured I needed to solve that by making something healthier with which to accompany the jamon….
My husband gave me a bread machine a few years ago (I think the gift was more intended for him than for me since he loves sandwiches and I abhor them ;-)), and we make our own bread occasionally. However, I’ve never made a flourless bread before and I had to use Google to search for a recipe. One caught my eye just enough to give it a try. It’s the paleo bread from Elana’s Pantry. I have to say, that if I eat any bread willingly (besides what we’ve made at home), it has to be the Spanish (or French or Italian) style pains, which are deliciously crunchy on the outside and light and airy on the inside. My issue with bread is that I’ve never really liked it (my grandmother used to say that I was afraid of it) and that it is made of wheat, which I’m trying to eliminate from my diet. (If you aren’t convinced yet about the dangers of wheat, I would suggest reading “Wheat Belly” and “Pandora’s Seed”.)
This paleo bread is more of a sandwich bread. The taste is amazing and the texture is very spongy. I ate two slices as soon as it came out of the oven and am eating another one as I type now. Yet, it didn’t quite cut it for me for the jamon serrano bocadillos in the morning; so I’ll be freezing the rest to use for French Toast or maybe even Torrijas, the traditional Spanish dessert made during Holy Week.
PALEO BREAD
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Place eggs in blender and pulse until frothy. Add oil, honey and vinegar. Mix well. Add all of the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to mix well. Pour into a greased (with olive oil) loaf pan.
Bake at 180C (about 350F) for 25 minutes. Cool and serve.
Hi Debra: This looks great. So did you find almond flour? Or are you using the ground almonds? BTW, loved your pics from Vietnam, etc.
Thanks Moni! I’ve been using the ground almonds, which I use to make macarons and everything turns out great. I’ve been buying the Tesco brand so far.
Can you make this without eggs?
Hi Chris, I don’t see how. I’ve been working on an egg/nut/dairy/sugar free bread, but it’s not quite there yet. The only thing you can do is substitute things like flaxmeal, bananas, applesauce for the eggs.. so you have to experiment with it. Please let me know if it works for you!
So glad I found this. Made a loaf last night and had a nice thick slice of it with a fried egg and baby spinach. I cut a thinner slice and toasted it in the cast iron skillet with a little organic butter. Next, I’ll try it out in sandwich mode — loved the texture!
Thank you Amanda! I’m glad you like it! Debra xx