Baking homemade bread is delicious and healthy with this recipe for Citrus-Pumpkin Seed Crusty Spelt Brown bread. And di I mention, totally fast and easy too? Really! You can easily speed the bread baking process up by removing the yeast. No rising time required. Just mix your dough, plop it into your bread pan, slide your pan into a steamy hot oven and watch your bread fluff up (just enough) and bake into beautiful crusty bread. I dare you to NOT snag a piece of this crust right after you remove the loaf from its pan.
Yeast-free breads have a hearty, rustic, yet still moist texture when you fill the dough with enough good-for-you ingredients like seeds, whole grains, fruit or veggie purees and more. You get fiber-ful loaves that pair perfectly with big bowls of steamy soup, smashed avocado for avocado toast and just about any meal really. I love to pair a slice with afternoon tea or lattes, warm the bread and add a slather of vegan butter and maple syrup for instant cozy food bliss...
Bread. Homemade.
Serve it any way you'd like.
My way..
Avocado Toast. This bread made the BEST avocado toast lunch. I slathered on smashed diced avocado that has been tossed in a splash of lemon juice, chili spice and pink salt. Then I added some red pepper flakes on top. I toasted my slice of bread before adding the avocado. Perfect! And totally homemade! We like that. Want to add even MORE iron and nutrients to your avocado toast? Smash Β½ teaspoon of spirulina into your avocado. See recipe.
Brown Crusty Bread. This recipe uses an array of healthy ingredients like homemade applesauce, fresh citrus and zest, fiber-rich bran, iron-rich blackstrap molasses, a touch of sweetness from agave or maple syrup, a kiss of cinnamon, healthy fat virgin coconut oil and sprouted spelt flour (although feel free to try out flour substitutes, regular spelt works too).
You may not have blackstrap molasses on hand. But yes, that 1 tablespoon is important! And trust me, go buy a bottle of this dark black sweetener and use it in all your grain breads, pumpkin muffins and cookies this fall and winter. Even BBQ sauces and chili recipes love this stuff.
Molasses browns the color of baked goods and also gives a very unique and distinctive sweet yet earthy tone. It tastes like fall to me. That is the only way I can describe it! Molasses adds that signature flavor to gingersnap cookies and bran muffins too.
Molasses is rich in iron, which is great news for vegans who need to watch out for their iron intake. Females ages 19-50 should be getting about 18mg of iron a day.
Vegan iron-rich foods include:
Spirulina (1 tsp): 5 mg
Cooked soybeans (Β½ cup): 4.4 mg
Pumpkin seeds (1 ounce): 4.2 mg (also in this recipe!)
Quinoa (4 ounces): 4 mg
Blackstrap molasses (1 tbsp): 4 mg
Tomato paste (4 ounces): 3.9 mg
White beans (Β½ cup) 3.9 mg
Cooked spinach (Β½ cup): 3.2 mg
Lentils (4 ounces): 3 mg
-source
One slice of this bread has about 12-15% RDA iron, depending on which flour you use. If you want to boost that even more, substitute 1 tablespoon of molasses for one of the tablespoon of agave/maple sweetener.
Yeast-Free. Yeast free breads do not have the same fluffy texture as a yeasted bread. But if you fill the dough with enough fiber they become these moist, nutty, grainy, rustic slices that are cravable! This bread tastes like it was baked in a tiny cottage somewhere in a magical forest or maybe a countryside Bed & Breakfast. Warm from the oven.
GF. If you go with gluten free substitutes for the flour and bran, your bread will be noticeably crumbly, (but still delicious). Add some ground flax seeds to improve the binding. Or add 2 teaspoon Xanthan gum to the dough for further binding power.
Bread & vegan butter + grade B maple syrup:
Avocado Toast..
My favorite taste test was via avocado toast for lunch..
But don't forget those red pepper flakes!..
Citrus-Pumpkin Seed Crusty Brown Bread
vegan, makes one loaf - 9 thick slices
Blended liquid mixture: -- you should have just under 2 ΒΌ cups liquid total
1 cup applesauce - or another fruit puree sauce* (homemade recommended)
1 medium juicy orange, peeled + pinch of citrus zest**
3 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
ΒΌ cup agave or maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut oil, extra virgin (melted)
Dry:
1 cup + 1 tablespoon wheat bran (substitute with oat bran or oat flour if desired.)
2 Β½ + 1 tablespoon cups sprouted spelt flour, organic (substitute plain spelt or wheat flour or a gf blend if desired)***
Β½ teaspoon pink salt (sub plain salt)
β
teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
Optional: 1-2 tablespoon vital wheat gluten or 2 teaspoon ground flax seeds for additional binding
Fold-in: β
cup raw pumpkin seeds (salted/sprouted used) + 1 tablespoon topping
*Fruit Puree: I used homemade raw applesauce first but also found success with a homemade cooked applesauce, strawberry puree (yum!) and an apple + pear raw sauce.
**Orange: If you do not have a blender or food processor that can smoothly puree a whole peeled orange, you can substitute with Β½ cup orange juice + an additional scoop of bran to compensate for the lost fiber
***Flour: You can try a spelt, wheat or gf variety of all purpose flour. Whole grain or sprouted grain flour is advised for this bread.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees.
2. Grease a bread loaf pan (9" x 5") with a spray oil.
3. Combine all the dry ingredients: flour, bran, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and optional vital wheat gluten or ground flax seeds in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
4. In a blender or food processor, blend the following: fruit puree/sauce, orange, molasses, agave or maple syrup, coconut oil. Note: I advise making homemade applesauce for the puree. Add one large apple, chopped roughly, a few teaspoons of lemon juice, plus enough water to blend, usually 1-3 Tbsp. Then a pinch of cinnamon. I blend that apple sauce the "wet" ingredients. (Homemade applesauce instructions here.) The total liquid that you should end up with should be just under 2 ΒΌ cups.
5. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry bowl and fold until everything is combined and a light and fluffy dough forms. Fold in the pumpkin seeds. If you like working with a drier dough, add in another few spoonfuls of flour. Flour brands vary greatly and will change the dough texture a bit. I loved the success I found from Sprouted Spelt
.
6. Lightly spray top of dough with oil. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds on top.
7. Bake at 415 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. Even if the bread looks done, keep baking for the full amount of time because you want that center to be baked through.
8. Pull from oven and cool a few minutes before removing from pan. Serve right away or cool for easier slicing. Store on the countertop, covered for up to 2 days. After that, place in freezer to store and re-toast to serve. For easier serving of frozen leftovers, slice bread before freezing.
Estimated nutritional info per thick slice if 9 slices per loaf:
I tested this recipe many times to make sure it works for you. Each loaf had its own unique personality, as bread tends to do, but I hope it works for you! Please give it a try and let me know how it went! Final test kitchen loaf. Tried a creative strawberry puree and plain spelt flour here..
Amy Carpenter says
I made this bread last night using spelt flour, oat flour, 2 tiny lemons (100g yield), honey and normal molasses (all the grocery store had) and it is soooo delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe! I think it will be a staple in our house now! π
Sarah Galloway says
Oh my goodness. Thank you so much for this recipe! I made this bread using oat flour and whole wheat flour. I now have the most delicious bread for my lunches and dinner all week. It was economic, quick, and delicious. I am very particular about bread and will not eat most store brands due to the extensive ingredient list. With home made bread I can happily enjoy every bite. π
Stefan x says
i could eat this for hours, i'm sure.
Adrienne says
This bread is SO good! I made it with oat bran, ground flax seed, and whole wheat flour, and is also used a cup of canned purΓ©ed pumpkin instead of applesauce and it came out DIVINE! Currently enjoying it with a good slab of Earth Balance, and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and sea salt.
Magen says
Is that 2 1/2 CUPS +1 tbs spelt flour?
Kathy Patalsky says
Yay! π
Emma Louise says
Deeeelishus! I made mine with a homemade thick apple butter by mistake and added a bit of pumpkin puree so thin it out (then added a ton of seeds and some oats) - it made it a little sweet but amazing with vegan spread and a cup of chai.
Kathy Patalsky says
I was never a huge applesauce an either until I started making my own freshly purΓ©ed, the flavor is soooo much better and brighter.
But yes I think pumpkin or squash could work. It will make the bread a bit heavier but give it a try! π
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh livomac I am so so sad to hear that news. My heart goes out to you and your family and I will hold you and your kitty in my thoughts and prayers. I know how hard cancer is emotionally and physically in both pets and owners. I hope you are able to find some peace and shelter from your heartbreak. I am just so sad for you and send you much love and warm hugs.
Cancer in pets is something I honestly knew NOTHING about a few months ago. I am eventually hoping to post a pet cancer awareness blogpost and hopefully highlight some of the warning signs and symptoms that pet owners like me my have missed or brush off. It breaks my heart to see others going through this painful illness with animals because as we both know, our pets love us unconditionally and with all their little hearts, and they are such innocent souls. I do believe that love and bond goes on forever.
Ps so glad the smoothies are coming in handy for you. Xo
Sheila Fretwell says
Sounds awesome. I wonder if cooked pureed pumpkin or sweet potato could work instead of the apple sauce. I don't care for apple sauce, even in baking.
Kathy Patalsky says
Sounds awesome! Enjoy it!
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh yes! π
Kathy Patalsky says
Yay molasses! Isn't it the best? I even add it to but butter smoothies
Kathy Patalsky says
Yes but it will def have a lemony flavor! I used grapefruit once and loved it actually... π
Kathy Patalsky says
I am so so sorry to hear that π cancer is horrible. Sadly, for some cancers like Nelly's there is just no stopping it, but we have slowed it down more than was predicted and she is her same happy self despite the growing tumors.
Our holistic vet prescribed some excellent homeopathic and Chinese herb meds that seem to have helped slow the cancer a bit.
I also love green mush, I buy mine from One Lucky Duck online stores.
Eating has been tricky but don't give up! Feed a variety of high calorie wet foods. Change things up if needed. Nelly was eating well but lost some weight recently so I started syringe feeding her. It's no fun for either party but she has gained at least a half pound in the past 5 days so that is great!
Other things: I play calming spa-style music nonstop during the day. Some reiki style music too. It definitely mellows her and me out. And lastly, other supplements like coQ10, salmon oil, milk thistle and others have been good for Nelly but always ask your vet.
Oh and if you have trouble giving pills, surround them in some virgin coconut oil or Earth Balance, chill for a few seconds to harden a bit and then give. Nelly loves the taste and swallows them much easier.
Oh! And if your kitty has tummy acid trouble ask your vet about Pepcid. We give 1/4 tablet 1-2 a day and it helps a lot. Nux Vomica homeopathy pills are also great.
Hope that helps a little!! Much live to you all. Xo
Livomac says
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for responding, it is such great advice, unfortunately, he passed away yesterday, His little body just couldn't handle all that poking and prodding and he went into cardiac arrest and couldn't be resuscitated. I thank you so much again, one of my favourite things about being a vegan is the compassion and love we have for all beings, in this case a complete stranger. Your smoothie book has come in extra handy as of late, about the only thing I've managed to eat the last few days, and once I'm back to solids, there will be lots of bean balls, one of my favourite recipes of yours. Thanks again for everything.
Spe Matt Spewak says
This looks amazing! Can't wait to try this with homemade oat flour, spelt and teff.
Livomac says
This recipe looks delicious, and comforting, couldn't have come at a better time either, my husband and I just found out our oldest kitty Peter has cancer. Any advice on ways to keep same or how to comfort kitty would be greatly appreciated. And I hope your little Nelly is still enjoying her sunbeams and doing well
beachmama says
Beautiful Kathy! If I don't have an orange, can I substitute lemon or water?
Ava1 says
As a person dealing with an Iron deficiency at present, Thank You! I always keep a bottle of Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses in my house and I've been looking to begin baking my own bread. This recipe gives me the impetus to do so.
Maggie Muggins says
I bet this would be fantastic dipped into a big bowl of hot soup. I love my yeasted breads but I'm a big fan of dense hearty grain-filled breads like these.
Kathy Patalsky says
Me to! Yum, thick chunky jam would be PERFECT on this warmed bread.
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh will fix that. I changed the orig recipe from 1/4 cup down to 3 Tbsp, this the small typo. 3 Tbsp is the correct amount.
Sarah says
This looks amazing!!! And avocado is certainly going to be the best topper!
Shari Weiner says
This looks fantastic, but can you clarify the quantity of water? Thanks!
ti wagner says
Baking some today using homemade canned applesauce. Can't wait to serve it with a hearty bowl of veggie root and bean stew. Thanks for such a lovely loaf!
Kathy Patalsky says
There are a few great brands. I usually buy mine from whole foods. Spirulina Pacifica is good. And health force green supplements are all awesome too.
Kathy Patalsky says
If you put spirulina in a sweet smoothie it is hard to taste it. It turns everything bright green though! Good luck! π
Tracy says
Thanks so much for the reminder about the iron in molasses. I just heard today that my 1 year old is slightly deficient. I am going to give her a supplement but also molasses in her morning smoothie. I wonder if she would like spirulina? Would she taste it in a smoothie?
Liz says
Kathy, what company makes the spirulina you use? Do you just use one brand or do you like more than one?
Suzanne says
This sounds like a dream! Can't wait to make it π
The Peace Patch says
I'm so happy it's citrus season...just smelling a fresh orange always cheers me up! I'd love to try this bread with thick chunky homemade fig jam. Many thanks for the recipe! π