Video/Recipe: Coconut Flour Bread

The challenges of a gluten-free, grain-free, starch-free diet are many. And one of the first considerations that people need in order to feel that they can actually “do” the diet is to have an acceptable bread replacement. Children and adults alike, crave bread. These are the people that most need to eliminate it from their diet. Unfortunately, our culture is heavily grain/bread/starch based. And this is what gets some people in trouble in the first place. They eat too many carbohydrates that are difficult to digest.

Not only are more and more children having problems with a grain based diet, but more adults are as well. Adult onset celiac disease is on the rise and is expressed with many different and seemingly unrelated symptoms, not only digestive distress. Not only is celiac disease on the rise, but in even greater  numbers, the cases of gluten intolerance are finally being recognized by researchers.

Grains have become a food staple only in the last 10,000 years. That may sound like a lot of time, but in evolutionary terms it is just a drop in the bucket. Our digestive tracts are actually geared for the “primal” diet of hunters and gatherers. And when agriculture of grains became more prevalent, these cultures developed a way of preparing them so that they were digestible to humans. Traditional methods of preparing grains require them to be soaked, fermented and/or sprouted before being ground into flour and then baked into bread.

Our modern commercial corporations have no interest in making their products more digestible. They are interested in making their products taste and look good without any concern as to whether or not they actually provide any available nutrition. Consequently, there are no grain based products on the conventional market today (with the rare exception of a few traditional bakers or farmers) that are considered acceptable by the Weston Price Foundation. None are properly prepared by soaking, fermenting and/or sprouting and so they are difficult to digest. Anyone with a compromised digestive system may develop problems if their diet is high in these products. Is it any wonder that adult onset celiac disease and gluten intolerance are rapidly on the rise?

Here we have a recipe for a simple, delicious, wholesome and fully nutritious bread that will satisfy the need for a “carbohydrate” type food. This is an excellent and completely balanced food, as it has plenty of protein from the eggs, plenty of fat from the coconut flour and oil (or butter/ ghee) and plenty of fiber from the coconut flour. Who could ask for more?

Coconut Flour Bread

Ingredients

4 whole eggs (pastured if possible)

3 eggs separated

4 – 5 Tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil

1 Tbsp raw honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup coconut flour

2 Tablespoons applesauce (preferable organic and homemade)

Instructions

  • Using a hand held electric beater, beat the whites until they are somewhat stiff.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, combine all 7 egg yolks, honey, oil and applesauce and mix together. The applesauce is not entirely necessary, but I find that adding it really adds moisture and a good flavor to the bread.
  • Add the coconut flour,  salt and  baking soda and mix together. If you are following GAPS you may omit the baking soda (and the honey). After mixing, the batter should be somewhat stiff.
  • Pour the mix into a mixing bowl and fold in the egg whites. You do not necessarily have to separate the eggs, but I find that it is fluffier and lighter if you do separate them. If you are in a hurry you can simply leave the eggs whole. However it doesn’t take very long to beat up 3 egg whites and for me, the difference is worth it.   Try not to leave big clumps of whites, get them folded in well.
  • Now, pour the batter into a well oiled loaf pan. I also line the bottom with parchment paper that is oiled.
  • Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. (Set a convection oven at 350 and it will run at 325. That is fine).
  • After 30 minutes check it. It will look very browned but will not be ready inside. Cover the pan with foil or a small piece of parchment paper for another 10 minutes. The parchment paper will help it cook inside without getting too brown on the outside. Just be aware that parchment paper can catch fire if it touches the heat source inside the stove, so be careful if you do this.
  • When finished, cool on a rack. Let cool completely before slicing, then wrap in wax paper and refrigerate.

To save time, you can make two loaves at once and have one to freeze. It is perfectly fine to freeze baked goods with coconut flour.

 

This post is linked to: Monday Mania, Grain Free Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, hearth and soul hop, tasty tidbits, Gluten-free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, What’s On The Menu Wednesday, Meatless Monday, Simple Lives Thursday, The Whole Gang, Frugal Follies, Food Trip Friday, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Fresh Bites Friday, Fight back Friday, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Foodie Wednesday, Creative Juice Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Turning the Table Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Friday Favorites, Foodie Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Potluck, Friday Food, Sugar-Free Sunday, My Meatless Monday, Melt in Mouth Monday , Monday Mania, Savory Sunday, Homemaker Monday, Mouthwatering Monday, Midnight Maniac, Weekend Carnival, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table, Traditional Tuesday Blog Hop, Tuesday Tasty Tidbits, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, What’s Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Creative Juice Thursday, Turning the Table Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fresh Bites Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Friday Food


  • http://www.anhourinthekitchen.com kara

    Can’t wait to try this!

  • June

    Can’t wait to try this – it may be a good one for PASSOVER??

  • Tina

    I am anxious to try this. In the video it seemed you said you were using baking powder (you specifically mentioned Bob’s Red Mill nonaluminum) but the recipe calls for baking soda. Can you clarify. Thanks so much.

  • Jill

    Hi Kara,
    Thanks! I visited your blog — it looks really nice. I will spend some time there.

  • Jill

    Hi June,
    I’m not too sure about all the rules for passover, but it certainly is unleavened bread.

  • Jill

    Hi Tina,
    Thanks for pointing that out to me! It is baking soda. On SCD/GAPS we do not use baking powder. I’ll have to figure out a way to correct that…Bob’s also has a non aluminum baking soda.

  • Alicia

    Thank you so much for posting this….again another VERY timely video and recipe! Can you tell me what size your food processor bowl is? Thank you!

  • Jill

    Hi Alicia,
    Thanks for the kind comment. My food processor bowl is 14 cups.

  • Alicia

    Thank you so much!

  • Jill

    Great! Let me know how it goes!

  • Hannah

    I just made a loaf and it is wonderful! I’ve made coconut bread before but this recipe is much lighter. This is the only flour my stomach can handle right now, so Im very excited to makes a sandwich with this bread! Thank you for the video tutorial!

  • Jill

    Hi Hannah,
    I’m so happy for you. I have a lot more recipes with coconut flour planned for the blog. I also love the way it comes out!

  • http://withoutadornment.wordpress.com Christine

    Yum! I never would have thought to try making coconut bread! Perhaps next time I make bread, I should try adding coconut flour…

  • http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free

    Hi Jill! Thanks so much for linking up to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday – I’m glad you’ve shared this yummy recipe with us.

    I didn’t notice a link back to the event. Would you mind adding it please?

    Thanks,
    Amy

  • Jill

    Hi Christine,
    I hope you do try it — I’m sure you will like it!

  • Jill

    Hi Amy,
    Thanks for hosting Slightly Indulgent Tuesday. I truly apologize for not linking back — actually I spent about 20 minutes (in the early AM) trying to link — but my visual editor has been giving me a problem on certain posts. It intermittently flips into HTML. I do not know HTML and so I can’t link back until my tech person (my son who is in school) gets home and will fix it for me. Sorry again please be patient with me until I resolve this ongoing problem!

  • http://www.amoderatelife.com alex at a moderate life

    Hi Jill, you are so right about the symptoms of adult gluten intolerance and Celiac seeming to be unrelated. I had been going along just fine and then all of a sudden suffered severe heart burn when I would eat anything with gluten. I even did a trial for a month of eating gluten free and found out it was indeed a trigger along with raw onions and heavy tomato sauce. I am currently undergoing homeopathic treatment to see if it will make a difference, but I certainly love to use gluten free recipes now a days! Homemade bread has definitely been a challenge for me, so I would love to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing this on the hearth and soul hop! All the best, Alex

  • http://www.DishragDiaries.com Jenn @ Dishrag Diaries

    Hi, Jill! Thanks for visiting my blog! I was literally JUST talking to someone about coconut flour bread, and then I click on your link and here it is. I will try this today! Thanks so much!

    One question – do you use just the egg whites, or do you use the yolks, too (in this recipe).

    Thanks!
    Jenn

  • Jill

    Hi Alex,
    Thanks for the comment. It is more and more common for adults to develop a gluten intolerance or sensitivity. It will not show up on the celiac blood panel, but it certainly can give all kinds of different symptoms, as you have discovered. I suspect it is a function of the improperly prepared grains that are in all the commercial foods. After years of poor digestion, some people will develop symptoms. I am enjoying your blog!

  • Jill

    Hi Jenn,
    I’m so glad I discovered your site! IT is so well written. I just left you another comment. But to answer your question, yes please use all the yolks!

  • http://www.DishragDiaries.com Jenn @ Dishrag Diaries

    Great. It is late now and I still have a million things on in the kitchen, so I moved the coconut bread to tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes and thank you so much for the kinds words! Please keep visiting!

  • http://diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com Debbie Arnold

    I am anxious to give this a try. I love experimenting with new flours and blends. Thanks for sharing on What’s On the Menu Wednesday.

  • http://permanentposies.com Susan@Permanent Posies

    My daughter is a Celiac and we have not seen a coconut flour bread yet. Thanks for sharing it. I will try it. I understand that 30% of Americans are gluten intolerant….but don’t know it. I haven’t quite made the break myself…..and I am sure I need to. We have been slowly turning our recipes over to gluten free at our family gatherings. My daughter was 31 before she found out and already had a lot of damage.

  • Jill

    Hi Jenn,
    Do let me know how you like the bread!

  • Jill

    Thank you for hosting!

  • Jill

    Hi Susan,
    Some people need to get ALL the starches out of their diet in order to heal. The SCD and/or GAPS diet (I have pages about this on my site), are really good for that purpose. Other celiacs seem to do OK with just taking the gluten out, but many gluten-free products are full of other additives. I much prefer to make my own from a healthy flour like coconut flour, hence the recipe.

  • http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/ Miz Helen

    Hi Jill,
    I can’t wait to try your Coconut Flour Bread. It looks very moist and has a great texture a great combination of flavor. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and please come back!

  • Jill

    Hi Miz Helen,
    I hope you do try the bread. It is a great gluten-free bread that is very tasty! Thanks for commenting.

  • http://mywpblogonline.com/2011/03/food-trip-friday_18.html Gengen

    Oh i love brad can i have some? happy FTF!

  • http://pinaymum.info/food-and-cuisine/food-trip-friday-017-cheesy-tuna-and-tomato-pasta/ cheerful

    looks really delicious! thanks for sharing your recipe! PinayMum – Mommy’s Life Around…wishing you great weekend! :)

  • http://www.noobfoodie.com MommyLES

    i love bread i will surely love this one.

    Noobfoodie

  • Jill

    Hi MommyLes,
    Thanks for commenting! I’m sure you will love it!

  • http://elegantlyglutenfree.com Pat @ Elegantly, Gluten-Free

    That’s a good description of the situation we’re facing with so much dependence on a grain-based diet. This bread looks a great way to work on counteracting that dependence. I’m new to using coconut flour — been more focused on finding gluten-free things that my non-celiac family likes. I do want to learn more about cutting back on grains in general, though, so they’re not just substituting one questionable flour for another.

  • Jill

    Hi Pat,
    I visited your site and love it! It’s so important to understand that so many people are gluten intolerant or gluten sensitive…the problems with gluten are much more widespread than the only population that has been formally diagnosed with celiac. I really feel that a lot of the problem is with the fact that all of the commercially made grain products are improperly prepared — not soaked, sprouted or fermented. Even the other, non gluten grains need this proper preparation and it is not done for the gluten-free products. My solution is to not eat any grains or starches, per the SCD or GAPS diet — ( more info on that at my site) and to use other flours such as the coconut flour. I will be posting many more videos using the coconut flour. Thanks for stopping by!

  • http://www.haziepooh.com Hazelicious

    I am a sucker for bread. I love bread. See you again, mine is up.

    FTF103

  • maintenance

    Hi Gengen,
    So glad you like the bread!

  • maintenance

    Hi Cheerful,
    Thanks for the kind words!

  • http://www.brownpinay.com/ Cielo of Brown Pinay

    Hi sis,

    Thanks for the recipe, I had bookmarked this page and included your recipe in my “TO-COOK List”

    Mine is up at FTF #38

    Its me,
    Cielo of Brown Pinay
    Also blogging at:
    My Point of View | GCircles | PartyPreppies

  • Jill

    Hi Cielo,
    Thank you for your comments. I’m sure you will like it!

  • Stacey

    Is this recipe possible using egg replacer? I’m severely allergic to eggs but would love to enjoy a sandwich occasionally.

  • Jill

    Hi Stacey,
    I have never used egg replacer. I do not know if it would work. Sorry…

  • http://realfoodforager.com/2011/03/videorecipe-salmon-patties-for-picky-eaters/ Video/Recipe: Salmon Patties for Picky Eaters — Real Food Forager

    [...] Slices of gluten-free coconut bread [...]

  • http://kingvalleyfreerange.tripod.com/ elizabeth

    I have been looking for a grain/starch free option for slathering my butter over. This might be the ticket, although I am not sure if I can use baking soda – is it GAPS legal? :-s

  • http://kingvalleyfreerange.tripod.com/ elizabeth

    oh it’s OK, I can use baking soda, which is GAPS legal! YAY!

  • http://helladelicious.com hellaD

    Hey great thanks so much for sharing this with grain-free tuesdays! I haven’t used coconut flour much while on the GAPS diet because the first couple times I used it my man reacted badly to it. That was months ago now and I should try it again, maybe he can handle it now. Your recipe sound delicious!

  • http://www.helladelicious.com/our-food/2011/03/grain-free-tuesdays-5/ Grain-Free Tuesdays 5 :: Hella Delicious Food for Health, Roots, Peace and Community

    [...] has contributed a tasty coconut flour bread and provided a great video tutorial to go with it here. Grains have become a food staple only in the last 10,000 years. That may sound like a lot of time, [...]

  • Jill

    Hi Hella,
    Thank you. You can periodically try the flours again, to see if you can tolerate them.

  • http://flipcookbook.com Raj @ Flip Cookbook

    Hi Jill, Thanks for sharing this at Sugar Free Sunday! I found myself chuckling reading your bit about “craving” the bread. That’s exactly how I felt when I started SCD. Now I only miss it when I walk through a bread bakery that just made fresh bread — guess the smell still triggers some cravings. :)

  • http://holleboomkitchen.blogspot.com Sara

    I look forward to trying this, hopefully soon. I am just getting to know coconut flour, but so far I love it. I am sure this bread is great! I will let you know when I try it!

  • Jill

    Hi Sara,
    Yes, please let me know how it goes or if you have any questions.

  • http://imagekeep.co.cc/coconut-flour-recipes coconut flour recipes

    [...] Video/Recipe: Coconut Flour Bread — Real Food Forager Mar 13, 2011 … I have a lot more recipes with coconut flour planned for the blog. I also love the way it comes out! … [...]

  • http://www.facebook.com/ASeaOfSins toasty redhead

    Thank you for a great post.

  • http://extremepersonalmeasures.com/ denise

    This sounds amazing!

    Stop by and link up at What’s Cooking Wednesday!

    http://www.extremepersonalmeasures.com/2011/08/whats-your-favorite-cookbook.html

  • Cmlands

    I followed the recipe pretty much exactly.  The dough was very paste-y (like kindergarten paste) so I added a few T’s of coconut milk.  It got softer so I stopped there.  Didn’t want it to collapse.  The end result was very dry and grainy.  Also, I didn’t have a glass pan, so the bottom 1/4 of the loaf turned grayish looking.  The taste is very cardboard-y. 

    I usually love things made with coconut flour.  I have an awesome pound cake recipe. 

    Can you give me some suggestions at moistening it without causing the batter to fall and also not get too sweet?

    Thanks so much!

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hmmm. It sounds like too much coconut flour. Maybe your eggs were too small. I usually use large eggs. Coconut flour will sop up all the liquid.

    Did you use the applesauce? That helps to keep it moist. Using the coconut milk would also be a good thing in stead of apple sauce.

    Maybe your stove runs a little hot? Try it at 325 degrees. There usually is a “crust” that is browned around the bottom and sides. Hope this helps!

  • Cmlands

    thanks for the quick reply and the tips.  Yes I did use applesauce–i didn’t think about adding more of that; it would’ve helped probably. 

    My eggs are from our own chickens, so I’m not good at gauging size anymore.  But now that you mention it, they’re probably around about med to med/lg.    So add another egg?

    I have convection so I set it for 350 conv. bake.  I did go out and buy a 4×8 glass loaf pan, so that should help with uniformity of baking.  I used an aluminum or lt wt steel loaf pan because it was the smallest I had, and it’s just so thin.  I prefer my crockery pans, but they’re too large so the bread would’ve been one large brick-shaped pancake.

    I’ll persevere with those changes.  I’m determined!

    Oh, and I should mention, I LOOOOOOOVE your accent!  :-)   I’m a transplanted Jerseyite, who lived in Long Island for 5 yrs and we have lived in TN for 6 yrs.  So it’s a little like being “home” when I hear talking from the “old country”!

    And great video too.

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    LOL, when I hear myself on the videos I realize that you take the girl out of Brooklyn, but you can never take the Brooklyn out of the girl!

    Just be careful not to put too much applesauce  — it will make it too soft. And also, did you separate the egg whites? When the batter is done without the whites, it will be sticky and somewhat firm — after you add in the whites, that will make the batter looser. It should be thick but pourable.

    The pan I use is 8.5 x 4.5 and if you google metal vs.glass here is what I found:
    “Usually when metal pans and glass dishes are compared it is suggested to
    use a lower temperature, usually 25 degrees, with glass so that the top
    will brown before the bottom
    burns.”

    Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes!

  • Cmlands

    thanks again.  I didi separate the egg whites.  I will definitely lower the temp.  I think I needed to with the metal pan as it was.

    Even after the egg whites, while it was smoother, it was still scoopable (think ice cream scoop)!

    I’ll not be defeated–I’ll post the next results.  :-)

  • Miz Helen

    Hi Jill,
    What a great video and a wonderful recipe, it looks delicious. Hope you are having a great week and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

  • Shannon

    This was really interesting to read, and the bread sounds great (even without needing gluten-free flours).

    Thanks for linking up with Friday Food on MomTrends.com!

    ~Shannon (Food Channel Editor @ MomTrends)

  • http://www.dailyorganizedchaos.com Bibi

    I am very big on using coconut oil, but I never used coconut flour. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile now. I need to get some next time I will be ordering my oil.

    Thank you so much for sharing it at Foodie Wednesday. Hope you can join us again this week.

  • Couscous & Consciousness

    This bread looks great.  I’ve never come across coconut flour, but I will definitely be looking out for it.  Thanks for sharing this bread.
    Sue :-)

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    You can find out where to buy coconut flour by clicking on the link provided in the recipe ingredients.

  • http://thecoconutmama.com/2011/09/how-to-make-coconut-ghee-2/ How To Make Coconut Ghee | The Coconut Mama

    [...] ghee or coconut oil. I enjoy eating it straight off the spoon! It also taste great as a spread over coconut flour bread or grain free bread. [...]

  • http://realfoodforager.com/2011/10/28-day-real-food-grain-free-challenge-signup/ 28 Day Real Food Grain-Free Challenge: Signup — Real Food Forager

    [...] and fruit — you can add some coconut flour bread or muffins on the [...]

  • http://realfoodforager.com/2011/11/recipe-grain-free-thanksgiving-stuffing/ Recipe: Grain-Free Thanksgiving Stuffing — Real Food Forager

    [...] One half loaf coconut flour bread (how to make coconut flour bread) [...]

  • Ammardina

    Thanks alot, I am starting the SCD diet with my son. So your video are so much helpful. I rarely find videos for SCD and Gluten free and diary free. Please keep posting. 

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Ammardina,
    Please let me know how it goes!

  • http://realfoodforager.com/2011/12/recipe-gf-df-coconut-bread-french-toast/ Recipe: GF DF Coconut Bread French Toast — Real Food Forager

    [...] 1/2 loaf of coconut flour bread (see my video/recipe for coconut flour bread) [...]