Rosemary Coastal Bread
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
This here bread is sweet, savory, and hardy… not only is it a solid textured loaf that is appropriate for sandwiches and spreads, but it is utterly delicious all on its own. I purposely left larger nuggets of sunflower seeds in the bread to give it nice seedy crunch to balance the delightful chew of the dried cranberries. Clearly, you can use other seeds, nuts or dried fruit.. but why mess with perfection?!
Not only do I love the texture of this bread, but I love the flavors. As I mentioned from the get-go… sweet and savory. The sweet (and slight tartness) of the cranberries play well with the savory hint of rosemary.
I remember moving into a house that had some deferred yard maintenance. It was beautiful; it just needed some overdue weeding and tender loving care. The weeds were taking over, so I spent a reasonable amount of time just pulling and yanking them from the front yard.
A few days later, I ran into the previous owner of the house. Midway through our conversation, she asked if I was enjoying the rosemary. “Rosemary?” I questioned. With much excitement, she said, “Why yes! There are huge rosemary plants all around the base of the trees in the front yard.”
Inwardly, my head hung low; my heart sank, my cheeks began to pinken, my throat grew dry as though a cotton ball had taken up residence… her cell phone rang and snapped me out of my inward trance of thoughts and shame, smiling she said she had to run. Thank goodness! I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I had ripped all those darn” weeds” out of the yard! Oy-Vey! All I can say is that the whole time I was digging them up, I kept saying to myself, “Dang these weeds smell good.” lol
My Raw Rosemary and Cranberry “Cream Cheese” Spread tastes fantastic on this bread if you are looking for ideas. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
yields 1 loaf
Almond milk sludge:
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 3/4 cup raw almonds, soaked
Add-ins:
Preparation:
- In the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, break down the walnuts to a small crumble.
- Add the oat flour, sunflower seeds, flax, psyllium, black pepper, and celery salt. Pulse to combine.
- In a blender, combine the water and almonds, blending until it is creamy smooth. Add to a food processor.
- Now add the almond pulp, cider vinegar, maple syrup, and rosemary. Process until well mixed.
- You may need to stop the machine a few times and scrape the sides down.
- Place in a bowl and add the cranberries and sunflower seeds. Mix well.
- The batter should be very thick.
- Let it rest for 15 minutes so the flax and psyllium can activate as a binding agent.
- Shape the dough into a loaf shape and place it on the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator. Dry at 145 degrees (F) for 1 -2 hours
- Slice the bread into 1″ slices (or thicker, depends on preference) and lay on the mesh sheet.
- Continue to dry for another 6-10 hours at 115 degrees or until semi-moist.
- Keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t dry out. Dry time will always vary.
- Store in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 1 month or so.
- I did a test to see how long the bread would last, uncovered, on the counter. I placed 3 pieces on a small plate and walked away. I came back to it a week later; one piece was missing… Bob ate it. A few days later, I check the bread to see yet another piece gone… Bob ate it. Two weeks into my experiment, I returned to my….. “Where’s my bread!”… You guessed it; Bob ate it! So off I went hunting down my husband. I asked him how the bread turned out after two weeks. He said that it tasted great; it was just very hard. So there you go. haha
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
- To learn more about maple syrup by clicking (here).
- What is Himalayan pink salt, and does it matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
- Learn how to grind your own flaxseeds for ultimate freshness and nutrition. Click (here).
- Are oats gluten-free? Click (here) to learn more.
- Are oats raw? Yes, they can be found. Click (here) to learn more.
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.
This bread tastes wonderful with my Raw Blueberry Grape Thyme Jam.
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Almond Pulp, Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Nut Free Option, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe. This sounds really lovely. I love anything (almost) with rosemary. Is it possible to bake it like a regular loaf do you think? I remember that from another recipe of yours.
Your welcome Ami,
I don’t bake any of my raw breads so you would have to experiment with it. It won’t remain raw so keep that in mind. amie sue
Good morning Amie Sue! Are you in the kitchen all the time? I don’t know how you do it. Another gorgeous recipe.
I’m going to start experimenting with low glycemic sweeteners as I’m not able to do maple syrup or agave at the moment. I’ve just bought mesquite, lucuma and yacon and also have stevia and coconut nectar (although I’d prefer to use less of that for blood sugar). If you needed to subs. the maple syrup for yourself, what would you suggest?
Also, did you dry your own cranberries? Or have you ever done that, using frozen? Not sure how that would taste given the lack of sweetener.
Thanks so much…as always! You’ve opened up a whole new world of possibility for me in creating food. Just bought ice cream molds to try your flax cones. Yea!
Mary
Hello Mary,
Some days it does feel as though I am in the kitchen from morning to night… but that is my favorite place to be. :)
It’s funny that you bring up the sweeteners. I am going to be experimenting myself on using some alternative sweeteners myself. Some won’t be raw but they will bring less sugar into the body. You have a great start with the ones you selected. I would use the yacon since it is liquid, but you can use the powdered ones as well, just keep an eye on the texture to see if you need to increase some liquid. You might even get by with just the stevia. The sweetness isn’t all that strong in the bread it just gives it that balance that I was looking for.
I don’t dry my own cranberries. You can dry your own and if you do I suggest cutting them in half rather than drying them whole because they will take forever and tend to get harder. If you wanted to sweeten them you could put some liquid stevia on your hands and them toss the cranberries once they are ready for the dehydrator. Rub your hands on them, imparting a little sweetness.
I hope this helps. Blessings and love, amie sue
Your link to the Raw Rosemary and Cranberry “Cream Cheese” spread isn’t working for me and I can’t seem to find it using your search function. Love your blog!
I will be releasing it today Coleen. I was having a few computer snaffoos. Sorry about that. Have a wonderful day, amie sue
Looks amazing! Would you have a suggestion for the oat flour? Maybe almond flour….I’m guessing coconut flour would not work though as it would absorb too much of the liquid…Tks :)
Hello Carrie, your right on skipping the coconut floor, it will be too much and suck the moisture right out. You can use almond flour or any nut flour… perhaps a mix of any and all of them. :) Buckwheat flour is an option too. Stick to homemade ones though so you get the most nutrients. :) Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend, amie sue
ok I might have missed something here but I have gone over this several times looking for where the almond sludge fits in and I cannot see anything about adding this or whether or not this is where you are getting the pulp
totally confused on this one
clarify please Amie
thanks so much for all your hard work for us
cant wait for the answer here so I can get this whipped up
constance
Hello Constance…. I talked about it on #3 In a blender combine the water and almonds, blending until it is creamy smooth. Add to food processor. So blend the water and almonds together and dump ALL of it in the food processor, then keep following the instructions. :) Enjoy and have a great day, amie sue
You are MY sunshine! Thank you for brightening my world with all your share. I too love the combination of Cranberries and Rosemary along with the crunchy textures you created here, only sub I need to make is Pumpkin Seeds in place of Sunflower Seeds:) So sorry to hear you accidently mistook the over grown Rosemary for weeds…I could so relate …it has happened to us all with one plant or herb at one time or another :( Thankfully the Lord covered your innocent mistake and made a gracious way out for you :) hoping your new plants are all thriving and growing hardier by the day :) Thank you for all your share…always such a delight! Yeay!!!
You do know how to warm my heart Kathy. Your messages and comments are always so uplifting to me. You are a true blessing… sending you a big ole’ hug! Oh and the pumpkin seeds will work just fine. I need to make this bread again…soon. hehe night night, amie sue
Wow!
Thank you Amie Sue, from the bottom of my heart, is all I can say right now….
Lump in my throat… Let me explain.
From when I was a little girl until some years ago, I often used the sit at our farmhouse kitchen table with my beloved Mama, sharing the best “together time” snack in the world: her home baked toasted whole wheat bread, slathered with homemade rich farm butter, topped with sliced juicy, sweet peaches, and a glass off raw milk!
Then she passed on from there to the other side, and I left my home country and had to give up gluten and dairy. I so often thought about our special times together at that old farmhouse table enjoying our “together time” snack and always missed it all so much! I thought that I would never again enjoy that delicious taste and time of sharing with her.
Boy was I wrong! Yesterday I made THIS beautiful loaf of bread, and right now I am sitting here typing my thank you story, with tears in my eyes! I am sitting here blissfully enjoying two slices of this beautiful bread warmed in the dehydrator, slathered with coconut oil, topped with sliced juicy fresh organic peaches, and a glass of homemade almond milk! I even put a small piece of our “together time” snack on the old tree stump outside, for my beloved Mama to enjoy too, and am again sharing our “together time” snack with her, just in a slightly different way.
Over here where I now live, the Native American people have a beautiful tradition of “feeding” their deceased loved ones their favorite food by setting a small piece of it outside for them to enjoy. And then on the Day of the Dead they also put out a small feast of ALL their favorite foods.
I guess I am two months premature with laying out this feast of our “together time” snack for my Mama today, but hey, by the time the Day of the Dead comes by, it may be hard to find fresh juicy peaches!
And anyway, rediscovering and now blissfully enjoying our favorite “together time” snack again, is reason enough to “feed” her anytime I am enjoying it myself!!
Um, Umm, Ummmm, it is soo.. good! I’m singing, I’ m dancing, I’m blissfuly enjoying our “together time” snack again, thanks to YOU Amie Sue! I feel like I have come full circle with this, and that’s what life is about, closing the circle and keeping the flow going!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your beautiful, healthy and delicious creations with us and for enabling me to once again enjoy my Mama’s and my “together time” snack, and for being able to share it with her again too, even though it is in a different way, it is still beautiful and very meaningful to me. I love you Amie Sue!
Thank you, xo
Dear Michelle,
Last night just before going to bed, I checked my email one last time and found your comment, waiting to be approved. My husband was snuggled up beside me and I read your story out loud to him. I couldn’t even get through it without my voice cracking and choking back the tears. I finally just had to stop and let me flow as Bob put his arm around me. He too, had tears falling down his cheeks. You really have no idea how much this blessed me. I was right “there” with you and your mama…and I can’t thank you enough for that experience. :) Isn’t it amazing how lives can be touched through a loaf of bread? I can’t even come close in expressing my gratitude for you. Love and blessings Michelle. Please keep in touch. hugs, amie sue
Dear Amie Sue,
I AM in sincere gratitude for YOU dear friend, because it is through your generosity and passion for what you do, that touches so many peoples lives in such wonderful ways. I read accounts of it all the time right here after so many of your beautiful, delicious recipes that you share with us.
YOU are a gift to all of us and are following your calling, that was given to you at birth, your Birth Vision. I believe we all have a calling that we are sent here to discover and follow. I know that yours is to create, teach and share delicious living food recipes and thereby helping humanity get back to loving and respecting themselves and their precious bodies, by feeding themselves healthy, healing, living food. You truly have a gift and are honoring your calling in the very best possible way. I really would love to meet you someday and thank you personally. In the mean while, until then, I will plant a tree, a peach tree in your honor this weekend in my garden, because planting trees where ever I go or where ever I find myself, is what I love to do, and what I think I am here to do to help heal our planet, Mother Earth.
Sweet Dreams to you, Amie Sue, xo.
Good evening Michelle,
I am sorry that it took me a few days to respond. Bob and I ended up leaving for a spontaneous road trip and we just got home this evening. :) Thank you my sweet dear for all your loving words, they are very edifying and uplifting. :) I marvel as to how things turn out in life… from going from a young woman who couldn’t cook anything from scratch to one who has found her true passion elbow deep in a bowl of ingredients, well, it has just turned into such a blessing in my life.
I am so honored in knowing that a peach tree has been planted in my name, you have no idea how special that is to me. We are surrounded by fruiting trees and not a day passes that I don’t recognize their beauty and life giving force within them, so thank you. :) <--- you have me smiling from ear to ear! I too hope that one day we can meet... you just never know. Well, I am tuckered out from the days drive and excitement but I couldn’t let another day slip by without responding. Blessings, amie sue
Hi Amy, I’ve been following you with your beautiful website for probably 2 months now. I’m on disability and saving every extra dollar I can to collect all I need from kitchen accessories to ingredients so I can make these gorgeous recipes. Tonight’s the first time I attempted the rosemary coastal bread! I just put it in my beautiful Excalibur dehydrator 5 minutes ago. I’m so excited! So far I’ve made fruit leathers, almond milk, cashew milk, the Apple rings with the flax seeds, and the coconut. I’m going to start on the berry jam (for the bread),and a flat bread.Im vegan, My daughter and my two granddaughter are as well, and I’ve never seen such beautiful recipes as yours. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Good morning Angela,
It is so wonderful to hear from you and to read such kind words… thank you, they mean a lot to me. ;) It sounds like you having some fun in the kitchen! How did the bread turn out for you? I hope you are enjoying it as this message finds you. Thank you for sharing with me and please do keep in touch. Have a blessed day! amie sue