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French Garden Bread

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Healthy Raw Gluten-Free French Garden Bread Recipe
~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
By the looks of my kitchen, a bakery just opened shop!  I need my own cafe or company…I have food everywhere.  My passion for raw foods only increases over time; it has yet to diminish in the least bit over the years.  My husband and our dear friend Craiger (who is staying with us for 2-3 weeks)  are loving this as well.  They are my taste testers, and so far they have LOVED every single one of them.
I don’t share that to be tooting a horn here; it just tickles me that Craiger, who is new to understanding what raw foods/dishes are has been raving non-stop over every raw recipe I make.  I love it!
He wants me to teach him how to make several of the dishes already. And that is where my passion is, to teach others, to encourage others to add more healthy dishes/foods into their diets. I want to quickly touch base on a few ingredients that I commonly use in raw bread and cake recipes.

Almond pulp & Its importance to the Recipe

Every batch of pulp will differ in moisture.  This all depends on how much of the milk you can squeeze from the nut bag.   Therefore, you may need to adjust the amount of liquids being used in recipes calling for nut pulp.  If it has a really dry feeling, more moisture may need to be added.  Or if the pulp is wet, less moisture would probably be necessary.
It is also best to make sure that the pulp is unflavored, and that is a step that has to be taken when first making almond milk.  There is a link below that you can click on to learn more about this process if you are unfamiliar with it.  BUT should your pulp already have small hints of sweetness to it, not to worry… I doubt it would be enough to affect the outcome of this recipe.  I don’t recommend any substitutions for the almond pulp.  It is the key ingredient that helped me to create a light and airy batter.

Irish Moss Gel or Kelp Paste

It is a must that I touch base on this ingredient because it pops up every so often.  The main question, “Do I have to use it? Or What can I use instead?”  Anything is possible when it comes to subbing out ingredients.  But I spend a lot of time developing recipes that have great flavor, texture, and appearance.  Since many people have a hard time finding Irish moss (unless mail-ordered), I came up with the idea of creating a paste from raw kelp noodles.  I can now happily report that both worked perfectly.  The purpose behind these pastes/gels is to give some added nutrition but as equally important… the bread-like texture.  If you are dead-set against using these ingredients, my next go-to would be a few tablespoons of psyllium husks.  Have fun experimenting, but I highly recommend making the recipe that I designed first.

French Garden Herb Mix

I created this recipe back in 2011 and used a spice blend that is no longer being manufactured. It was a spice blend that is similar to an Italian seasoning mix.  So please use something equivalent until I get to fine-tune a spice blend. blessings, amie sue

Healthy Raw Gluten-Free French Garden Bread Pieces with Fresh HerbsIngredients:

  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
  • 3 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning mix
  • 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Preparation:

  1. In a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, combine the oat flour, flax, coconut flour, seasoning, and salt.  Pulse till mixed.
  2. Add almond pulp, Irish moss, date paste,  and lemon juice.  Blend till everything is well incorporated.
    • Depending on how moist your almond pulp is, you may need to add water, so the dough sticks together nicely.  Add 1 Tbsp at a time until the right consistency is reached.
  3. Remove the batter and shape it into the desired size.  Score the top with a knife. I later use these score marks as a guide in slicing my pieces.
  4. Place the bread loaf on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator and dehydrate at 145 degrees for 1 hour.  This will create a crust on the outside.
  5. After 1 hour, remove from the dehydrator and cut the bread slices to the desired thickness.  I did mine at about 1″ thick.
    • Return to the mesh sheet laying the pieces flat.
  6. Decrease the temperature to 115 degrees (F) and continue to dehydrate for 4+ hours.
    • As an indicator, if it is dry enough, touch the center of the bread slices.  You don’t want it to be doughy, but you also don’t want the bread to dry out too much.
    • The dry time can be affected by the thickness of the bread, the humidity in the climate in which you live, and the make of the dehydrator.
  7. Shelf life and storage:  Store the bread in an air-tight container, in the fridge, for 3-5 days.
  8. The more moisture that is left in your bread, the shorter the shelf life.  Therefore, shelf life will vary with your drying technique.
    • Whenever I make this bread, it never lasts very long enough to spoil.
    • Keep in mind, the whole purpose of eating a raw diet is to eat foods at their peak of freshness, so don’t expect this bread to have an extended expiration date.
  9. This bread also freezes very well.  Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer Zip-lock bag. If well protected, it should keep for up to 3 months.

The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™

Culinary Explanations:

  • Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
  • When working with fresh ingredients, it is essential to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
  • Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do, however honestly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

53 thoughts on “French Garden Bread

  1. Jami says:

    That looks delicious!!!! I seriously need to invest in a dehydrator. I agree…you need to open your own cafe. :)

    My hubby has agreed to make some changes in our eating habits – starting Monday. You have really been an inspiration for me, and I know I will be checking your blog often for recipes and asking you lots of questions!!

    • amie-sue says:

      Thank you Jami :) That is great news to hear about your and your hubby! I am here for you every step of the way. I would love to personally show you how to make any recipe or technique that you want. Have a blessed day, amie sue

  2. Lyn says:

    WOW!!! that looks fantastic!!!! Gonna have to try that !!! Bread is one of the hard things to give up but this certainly looks it can make it easier!!!!!!!!! Great step by step and pictures!!

    • amie-sue says:

      I know exactly what you mean Lyn, about how hard it is to give up bread. I gave it up 4 yrs ago and trust me, it was a hard addiction to beat. I was one that could live on the stuff, in any shape, form or flavor. This recipe had me doing back flips when I ate it. It doesn’t have the texture of Wonder bread by any means (not sure thats really a bad thing in the end haha) but it is the closest I have come in having a bread like substance in my hot little hands. Please keep me posted if you decide to make it. :) Blessings Lyn, amie sue

  3. Harmony says:

    Hi I really love your site its truly one of the best!
    I am avoiding oats do you have any ideas for a substitute in this bread?
    Thank you! Please keep posting new recipes.
    light,
    Harmony

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Harmony,
      You can use spouted, dehydrated and ground buckwheat as a replacement. I am happy that you are enjoying the site. Have an amazing afternoon! amie sue

  4. Pilar says:

    Hello again, Amie,
    I’d like to make this bread but I’d prefer to get a savory version of it. I just thought of just omitting the sweet ingredients but wanted your feedback on this if possible. Thank you so much :-)
    Going to sleep now zzzzzzzzzz

  5. Rawish says:

    Hi Amie and all,
    Yes, I’m quite excited with your blog! :-). And also very very appreciative not only for sharing all knowledge but also for your fast replies every single time we write. This is really helpful and also really kind from you. As for the bread, I’m from south Spain and in my family we have the tradition of having bread with olive oil and sometimes fresh grated tomatoes for breakfast (along with coffee, of course ;-)). I have been craving that for a while and I must say that I am putting expectations on these breads of yours. They look amazing and I’m really curious about how they will taste like. I still didn´t find any kind of “proper bread” in any of the raw food restaurants where I go in New York, which is where I live. Anyway, thank you sooo much for everything and I’ll keep an eye on that next bread you’re releasing soon!

    • amie-sue says:

      Oh wow Rawish… the pressure is on! hehe I hope that you enjoy them. Bread is a well loved food and can be difficult to fully replicate… I have to admit though that these recipes for bread on my site, are very good. They don’t have the light-yeasty texture to what you are use to but the flavor is great and for raw the texture is wonderful (if you ask me haha). Please keep me posted if you make it. Blessings, amie sue

  6. Pilar says:

    Dear Amie,

    I went to the green market in NYC today to try to find raw oats. I understood from the website of one raw oats supplier that they would be selling there, but I didn´t find them. I can order oats online, but the shipping is expensive. I can certainly afford it if I decide it is worth it, but to the hard time getting raw oats there is this info on the phytic acid http://www.rebuild-from-depression.com/blog/2010/02/oatmeal_phytic_acid.html

    According to that post, soaking helps reducing the phytic acid in many grains, but apparently it seems to be of almost no use when it comes down to oats.

    I haven´t done much research, and I don´t even know if the source posted above is a serious one. But since I don´t take the time to make my own research, I guess I have to get by with these bits of inputs. It seems though that the woman who writes actually backs her statements on empirical research articles.

    I love oats and had them for breakfast for the last many years. However, now that I see these less strong points to it, I am considering the idea of starting to think of a substitute for it.

    To begin with, I thought of going for buckwheat.

    Do you think that buckwheat could work as a fair substitute of the oats?

    I hope you really like receiving these comments… Otherwise I can imagine I must be being such a pain, questions here and there ;-))

    Pilar

    • amie-sue says:

      Greetings Pilar,

      Finding true raw oats are a challenge, no getting around that. I have read the link that you posted above too. It’s hard to know these days what is what other than I have to go by how foods effect my own body and make the best decisions based off of that. If gluten-free rolled oats don’t bother your digestion, then do your best with them. And just because we are discussion one ingredient here such as oats, it doesn’t mean that you are eating them 3x a day / 7 days a week. We have to understand moderation in our daily diets. But if oats on the other hand don’t “sit” well with you then finding an alternative is wise. Raw buckwheat can be a great substitute. Oddly enough I just got done sprouting some this morning and I am experimenting with a cereal recipe. It is in the dehydrator as I type this. If you do use buckwheat be sure you get raw ones so you can sprout them. After sprouting I tend to dehydrate them and keep them on hand for recipes. You can then grind them into a flour or keep them whole and add great texture to recipes. Keep experimenting Pilar! Have a great evening, amie sue

  7. Sat Tara says:

    HI Amie-Sue,

    I was very excited to try this recipe as it’s my first ever bread using Irish Moss. I used chia seeds instead of flax seeds. It came out delicious, but quite crumbly. The slightest touch and it crumbles. Don’t know whether it was the substitution of Flax for Chia, or could be because my Irish Moss Gel was made from Irish moss that was mainly white but had some red in it too (so maybe it was not as pasty as it should be)? Or could be that I need thicker slices? Any ideas?

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Sat Tara,

      Hmm, exchanging chia and flax seeds should be fine…Did you over dehydrate it perhaps? Mine hasn’t ever turned crumbly. Can you post the brand of the Irish moss that you used as well? I don’t think that was the issue but I would like to look the brand up. How thick were slices? Let’s see if we can figure this out… just give a me a bit more information. :)

  8. Sat Tara says:

    I live in Ireland, the land of Irish moss (of course – lucky me!), so our brands are all small and local. But it was this one here… http://www.evergreen.ie/carraig-fhada-carrageen/590029pd.aspx You cant really see it on the picture though. I found a much better one that I now have in my cupboard so will try with that next time, like I said, there were some bits of stringy red which I snipped off with scissors, and the whitter stuff seemed to blend ok.

    Also, it could be because I dehydrated for about 1 1/2 hrs at 145 before turning down the heat and slicing the bread, since I wanted a nice crust and I wasn’t sure if it was happening. Your pic looked so nice and golden, but I think cos I didn’t use the golden flax I didnt get a golden crust!

    Anyway, will try again at some point, with another bread recipe and see what happens.

    LOVE this site by the way, am amazed at all our excellent info and incredible pics. Keep it up!!! =)

    • amie-sue says:

      Good evening Sat Tara,
      Hmmm, I checked out the link you sent about the Irish moss…from what I can tell, it should be good. I do know from personal experience that not all moss’s are alike so it is hard to know 100%. Did you got through the soak and rinse process to make the Irish moss gel? How was the texture of the “dough” as you were forming it into a loaf before you stuck it in the dehydrator? Was it nice and moist or more dry? You could have over dehydrated it…again, it’s hard to pinpoint without seeing it. I hope you try it again soon because it was delicious!!

  9. Sat Tara says:

    I reckon it stayed too long at 145degs. It wasn’t a disaster, especially not in taste, so onwards and upwards! =) thanks again!

  10. Louise Johnston says:

    Hi,
    I made this bread and I did not include the irish moss. It turned out great! It looked just like yours. For me next time I will slice it thinner. It is quite filling!
    I made myself a tomato sandwich and wow it was delish!
    My 2 boys and my husband like it.
    One asked me to make banana bread, he said I bet it would taste great raw! O be still my Raw heart!
    I am going to do that and try a Raisin cinnamon bread next!

    Thanks so much!
    Your wonderful!
    Louise

    • amie-sue says:

      Louise… I am so glad that you liked the recipe…but I am even more tickled that your boys enjoyed it. It always takes things to a new level when kids love/like raw foods! The Raisin bread is my all time favorite. Keep me posted if you make it and what you think. Thank you for sharing! RAWk on! hehe amie sue

  11. blanchie says:

    HI suu, your bread looks delicious good you please tell me how to make almond pulp.

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello blanchie,
      Please click on the word “almond pulp” under the ingredient list. It will take you to a post I did on how to do that very thing. Thank you :) amie sue

  12. Daniela says:

    I have Irish moss powder. can I substitute in the recipe for the gel? if yes in what quantity.

    Thank you so much!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Daniela, I don’t have any experience with the Irish moss powder. I always meant to try it but never have. So I don’t have an answer for you. Sorry, amie sue

  13. Daniela says:

    Wow that was a really quick answer:). I used my own feeling and I mixed 3 tbs of powder with water until it became like a gel-paste. I used only 3 Tbs of this mixture as I didn`t like the colour for a french bread ( it is dark brown!). It didn`t seem to change the taste of the bread but I don`t know if will do anything to it…It is in the dehydrator right now …I`ll see what comes out tomorrow;)

    • amie-sue says:

      Daniela, I am glad that you went ahead and experimented. :) Good job! I am anxious to hear how it worked. Thank you for keeping me posted. We are in this together. amie sue

  14. Daniela says:

    It’s delicious! It is even better than the Honey Oat bread!…maybe because I dehydrated for fewer hours than the hoey brea which came out very crisp:).

    Thank you so much for all ypur recipes! Are easy to follow and appealing. Sice I discovered your blog I am not searching anywhere else for recipes. Everything I tried so far from your recipes I liked so much!

    • amie-sue says:

      Awesome Daniela! I love all these raw bread recipes and just when I think I have a favorite, I make another one. hehe You can surely control the moisture content through the dehydrating process and make it as dry or moist as you want which makes it very versatile. Enjoy and have a wonderful day, amie sue

  15. Dot says:

    Hi Amie Sue, you are a great inspiration to me, thank you so much. I do have a question about this bread though! Can it be made without the Irish Moss, and will it change anything if Irish Moss is not used? many thanks. I’m thinking about having a go at making it tomorrow!!

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Dot… thank you for sharing that with me. Means a lot :) Oh I am so thrilled that you going to try this bread! I hope you love it and enjoy the experience. You can omit the Irish moss, the texture will be a bit more dense, but over all it will still be wonderful. Please do keep me posted. Blessings, amie sue

  16. suhaill says:

    What substitute can i use in place of Coconut flour and coconut oil?

    • amie-sue says:

      Hello Suhaill,

      I don’t use coconut oil in this recipe and as far as the coconut flour, you use more oat flour in its place. Have a blessed evening, amie sue

  17. Gwyneth says:

    What can I use in place of the oat flour?

  18. Nancy says:

    Hi Amie,
    This is the absolute most delicious of anything I have tasted in months! (can you tell I’m a ‘reformed’ bread addict?) Made it exactly as the recipe states-not my normal mo. Yummy!!! Thanks for the great recipe and your inspiring and beautiful website. I spend way too much time here. Peace and love to you!

    • amie-sue says:

      Thank you Nancy! Sorry it took me a few days to respond. I am on a healing vacation and have limited my time on the computer. :) I appreciate your comment and look forward to hearing from you in the future. Blessings, amie sue

  19. Lucy says:

    Hi again, Amie-Sue!

    This recipe looks and sounds amazing. I am wondering if there is something that I can use to replace the date paste? My fiance is not allowed to have most fruits/dried fruits due to his diet. I tried to look around on Google to see if there is a good replacement for this. The only thing I could find was that someone said you could use a nut butter in replacement to keep the texture similar. What do you think would be a good replacement? Thank you so much for your help!

    Lucy

    • amie-sue says:

      Good evening Lucy,

      I would go head and use a nut butter, preferable one that wasn’t strong in taste, so try cashew, macadamia nuts first… then almond. Keep me posted how it goes. Blessings! amie sue

  20. Krystal says:

    If you are in a situation where you can not afford a dehydrator at the moment, can you use the oven at a low temperature to achieve the same result? I have never made Raw meals before and I am desperately trying to spend a few days dedicated to meal preperations so that I can achieve my new raw food lifestyle so that I am not tempted back into the unhealthy meals I use to eat. Thank you for all of the help that I can get from you.

    • amie-sue says:

      Good evening Krystal,

      I understand. Many people use their ovens in this way but there is no guarantee that it will remain “raw”… it will still be healthier for you than other process breads so there’s a win! Turn the oven on the lowest setting and crack the door to lower it even more. You will just have to monitor the length of time it will take to bake.

      I don’t know where you live but check Craigslist for Excalibur dehydrators. I have bought 2 over the years for friends through Craigslist for a fraction of the price. Worth checking it out. :) Blessings on your journey! amie sue

  21. […] Check these innovative recipes by Amie-Sue at nouveauraw.com: Raw honey-oat bread, Bagel, French garden bread and Apple spiced […]

  22. chiaramente says:

    Hi,
    As it is difficult to find the Irish moss or Kelp paste, can we use Psillium?
    Can you give us the proportions?

    Thank you

    • amie-sue says:

      Good afternoon Chiaramente,

      I would use about 2 Tbsp of psyllium powder and about 1/4 cup of water. Once the batter is done, let it sit for about 15 minutes for the psylluim to take bind. If it feels too dry at that point add a few more tablespoons of water. I hope this helps, blessings, amie sue

  23. Hollie says:

    I noticed you said in a post that you don’t use Irish moss as much anymore. You substitute psyilium husk for the Irish moss. Can that be done in all your bread recipes? If so, is there moss to husk conversion rate you use?

    Ps. I dimly remember a cheese that uses Irish moss, can the husk be used in cheese as well?

    • amie-sue says:

      Good afternoon Hollie,

      I go back and forth on Irish Moss, kelp paste, and psyllium husks… all depending on what I have it in stock. They are all great in bread applications. If you are replacing the Irish moss in the bread recipes on my site, I would say to use roughly 2-4 Tbsps worth. If you get too carried away with it, it can make the bread gummy in texture.

      I haven’t played around with psyllium in the cheese recipes so I can’t comment on that without having experience under my belt in that area.

      I hope this was helpful, blessings, amie sue

  24. Renee Boley says:

    Hi Amie Sue!
    I am soo grateful for this site! I’d like to make this bread and have everything it calls for except almond pulp. My local health food store has been out of raw almonds for months so I’ve been using other kinds. Do you think cashew pulp would taste good as a replacement?
    All the best!
    Renee

    • amie-sue says:

      Good day Renee,

      I am so grateful that you are enjoying the site. :) Regarding the almond pulp substitution… you can use other nut pulps but each different one might affect the bread texture and of course the flavor (but not much). Cashew pulp would be challenging because it doesn’t yield much pulp when making a milk from it. Most people don’t even bother straining cashew milk because it’s so thin. Almonds give the best yield. I’ve never tinkered around with other nut pulps since I found my golden ticket with almonds. Do you already have a surplus of cashew pulp on hand? blessings, amie sue

      • Renee Boley says:

        Good day, Amie Sue! Thank you so much for your reply. No, I do not have a surplus of cashew pulp on hand. I think I may look to order the raw almonds online since they sound like the way to go. I really appreciate your expertise and advice and of course, recipes!

        • amie-sue says:

          Oh, you bet Renee. I am glad that I was able to help. I am glad that in the end, you are going to try it with the almond pulp as the recipe calls for. I want you to experience the recipe as it was designed so you thoroughly know what flavor and texture you can expect from a raw bread. From there, you gain confidence in swapping out ingredients as you see fit. :) blessings, amie sue

  25. Anna says:

    Hi Amie Sue! I made this bread but it doesn’t look so light and bright as yours. Much darker colour and too much moist still remained after dehydrating the way you suggest. The surface became flawed. :-(

    • amie-sue says:

      Good day Anna,

      I am so glad that you tried the recipe. As far as the coloring goes, it could partly be due to the lighting of the room when I took the photo. I use all-natural light so I wouldn’t worry too much about the color. I am not sure what you mean about the “surface became flawed?”

      As indicated in the instructions, “The dry time can be affected by the thickness of the bread, the humidity in the climate in which you live, and the make of the dehydrator,etc.” So if it needs more time to achieve the moistness level you want, just keep drying it until it reaches that. That’s going to be the golden rule when dehydrating anything.

      I hope this helps, amie sue

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