RECIPE- Seeded Bread Loaf

Babylonstoren shared their low card, gluten-free recipe with me and I couldn't keep it to myself

We're in the thick of winter now, and food is providing the perfect comfort against the seasonal chill. On most days, you can find me poured over a pot of boiling tomato soup or bent over my oven, making sure my bakes don't burn.

Having perfected my yoghurt flatbread and cannabis loaf (I'll share the recipes soon enough), I thought I'd challenge myself by attempting the seeded bread Babel at Babylonstoren make fresh every morning. When Mischa and I visited the Cape-Dutch farm back in May, I was blown away by how deliciously textured the bread was. Mostly made of seeds, the recipe is the perfect substitute for people who are gluten intolerant. Low-carb too, you can hazard an extra slice without worrying about compromising your bikini season goals.

So I got onto the phone with Simone, Babylonstoren's head of catering and beverages, and asked her to share the recipe she developed herself with me.

Admittedly, I've sat on this wonderful winter treat for about a week now. I'm equally ashamed to disclose that in these nine days, I've inhaled all three loaves I had baked with the intention of freezing to enjoy modestly over the next month. The bread is just so damn good! Slather some cream cheese on top with a spoonful of blueberry preserve or cut them into rectangular blocks and dehydrate them in the oven for the perfect rusk - the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Before I get carried away and convince myself to bake another loaf instead of sharing the recipe with you, here you go:

Ingredients

215g rolled oats

165g sunflower seeds

110g linseeds/flaxseeds

75g whole almonds

30g psillium husk

5g honey

35g coconut oil

390ml water

5g salt

20ml chai tea

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C

2. Warm coconut oil so it's not a chunk when combining it with the rest of the wet ingredients

3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix fully

4. Grease bread tin with a teaspoon of melted coconut oil

5. Pour bread mixture into tin

6. Bang tin down atop a counter to ensure no pockets of air are left in the bread mixture

7. Place in oven and bake for one hour

8. When baked, immediately take bread out of tin and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes

***Best served warm, but can keep up to 3 months if cooled then frozen. Store in air sealed container for up to 5 days short term***

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If the kitchen is just as much your favourite place to be during winter as it is mine, you'll love some of the seasonal recipes I'm sharing. My Persimmon Pie was inspired by my trip to the Cape Winelands while this boozy Mulled Wine recipe is ideal if you're in need of a warming nightcap.