Jeannie's New Zealand Paleo Bread

On a recent trip to New Zealand I discovered a delicious paleo bread that made the most wonderful toast. Unfortunately it is not sold here in the United States so I set out to make my own paleo bread that tastes just as good. This is as close as I've been able to get and if I do say so myself, it's pretty fantastic! Try it toasted with some almond butter and honey spread on top or use it for avocado toast. It's so hearty and satisfying that you may only need one slice, but it will be hard to say no to two. Happy low-carb toasting!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Hazelnuts

• 1/2 cup Pecans

• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds

• 1/4 cup Flax Meal

• 1/4 cup Hemp Seeds/Hearts

• 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds

• 3 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

• 2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds

• 1 1/2 cups Almond Flour (or almond meal)

• 2 Tbsp Psyllium Husk

• 1 tsp Baking Soda

• 1 tsp Sea Salt

• 4 Eggs, organic and pasture-raised (allow to warm to room temperature)

• 3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)

• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1/3 cup Coconut Oil (melted and cooled until barely warm to the touch)

• 1 Tbsp Raw Honey

Directions:

1. Preheat your over to 350 degrees.

2. Place the almonds, pecans and hazelnuts into a food processor and pulse until very coarsely ground.

3. Add the pumpkin, flax, hemp, sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds and continue pulsing until the whole mixture is coarse but the seeds are no longer whole. (If using chia seeds instead of psyllium husk, add them now.)

4. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour/meal, psyllium husk (omit if using chia seeds instead), salt and baking soda and mix well, then add the nut and seed mixture and stir thoroughly.

5. In another bowl (I use the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer for this step), combine the eggs, honey, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and melted coconut oil (add slowly while mixing) and mix until well combined.

6. Turn your mixer on low and gradually pour the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. If mixing by hand, fold ingredients together until well combined. After mixing, allow batter to sit for several minutes.

7. Use a glass loaf pan or line a regular loaf pan with parchment. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly.

8. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely, then turn it out of the pan and slice. It is a tad crumbly so I found it easier to slice after chilling it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze and use it later. Enjoy!