It is no secret that people are spending more time in the kitchen! People are home more. They are cooking from scratch more. There is more experimenting going on. Have you heard about the sourdough baking rage that is taking over? There are even a host of gluten free sourdough recipes going around on the internet. But making your own sourdough starter, while totally worth it, takes time. And maybe you need a decent, gluten free loaf while you wait. Or maybe tackling sourdough is outside your comfort zone at the moment. No problem! There are lots of options for different types of gluten free loaves, and I think you are going to love this one!
Included in this loaf is intestine loving flax. Flax is a superfood worthy of this moniker. Flax seed has known anti-inflammatory properties and appears to protect the mucous that lines the intestines, thus decreasing gut permeability. Additionally, flax appears to increase gut motility thereby reducing constipation.[1] Flax is an excellent source of mucilaginous fiber, helping to add bulk to the stool while protecting the lining of the intestines.[2] Recent studies have shown that this type of mucilaginous fiber is particularly beneficial for those who suffer with IBS.[3] Remarkably, flax has an equally positive effect on both the symptoms of diarrhea and constipation.[4] In addition, flax is a good source of magnesium which has a calming effect on smooth muscles (like the intestines).
Besides all the great things flax does for your gut, it is also a source of lignans, a type of plant polyphenol which is an antioxidant. Research has shown lignans can help in the treatment of breast cancer by supporting the action of chemotherapy drugs[5] as well as aid in preventing colorectal cancer.[6]
So go ahead, and make yourself a sandwich! Gluten Free Sandwich Loaf Makes one 8 ½ x 5 inch loaf
Ingredients (Preferably ingredients would be organic): 1 cup Sorghum Flour ½ cup Brown Rice Flour ½ cup Buckwheat Flour ½ cup Flax Seed ½ cup Arrowroot Powder 1 tsp Baking Soda ½ tsp Sea Salt 1 tbsp Honey ¼ cup Applesauce 4 Eggs 2/3 cup Nut or Seed Milk 1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar Topping (optional) 2 tsp White Sesame Seeds 2 tsp Black Sesame Seeds 1 tsp Coarse Ground Sea Salt Method: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Line a bread pan with parchment paper so that the parchment paper extends beyond the pan in each direction. 3. Make the topping: mix both sesame seeds and salt in a bowl and set aside. 4. To a food processor, add all the dry ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds to mix. 5. Add the wet ingredients, in order, to the food processor. 6. Blend until totally combined (about 30 seconds). 7. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan and top with the sesame seeds, if using. 8. Bake for 35 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack. 10. Enjoy!
[1] Palla, Amber H. and Anwarul-Hassan Gilani. “Dual Effectiveness of Flaxseed in Constipation and Diarrhea: Possible Mechanism.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Issue 169, pp. 60-68. 15 April, 2015. [2] Murray, Michael et al. Encyclopedia of Healing foods. New York, New York: Atria Books, 2005 [3] Palla, Amber H. and Anwarul-Hassan Gilani. “Dual Effectiveness of Flaxseed in Constipation and Diarrhea: Possible Mechanism.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Issue 169, pp. 60-68. 15 April, 2015. [4] Palla, Amber H. and Anwarul-Hassan Gilani. “Dual Effectiveness of Flaxseed in Constipation and Diarrhea: Possible Mechanism.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Issue 169, pp. 60-68. 15 April 2015. [5] Di, Yunyun et al. “Flaxseed Lignans Enhance the Cytotoxicity of Chemotherapeutic Agents against Breast Cancer Cell Lines MDA-MB-231 and SKBR3.” Nutrition and cancer vol. 70,2 (2018): 306-315. doi:10.1080/01635581.2018.1421677 [6] DeLuca, Jennifer A A et al. “Flaxseed Bioactive Compounds and Colorectal Cancer Prevention.” Current oncology reports vol. 20,8 59. 5 Jun. 2018, doi:10.1007/s11912-018-0704-z