Recipe: The Mountain Loaf (Gluten-Free) from Whistler Bakery Bred

Recipe by Ed and Natasha Tatton

When Ed and Natasha Tatton started their humble plant-based bakery in Whistler back in 2019, they couldn’t have anticipated that the sourdoughs, scones and pizzas they make at Bred would attract almost as much attention from the ski crowd as the slopes do. Now, their new Bred cookbook (out November 7) is saving city-dwellers a trek into the mountains—but the hearty, homey (and, yes, vegan) baked goods are transportive nonetheless.

The Mountain Loaf (Gluten-Free)

Makes 1 loaf (15 thin slices)

Why do we call this bread “The Mountain Loaf?” Because it is 1½ kilograms of pure energy. One or two thin slices will sustain your adventures for hours. It’s packed with seeds, nuts and slow-releasing energy ingredients like gluten-free oats and one of our favourites, wild rice. This is a versatile loaf in that you can eat it by the slice, cube it into croutons or even crumble it over a casserole before baking it.

Ingredients

1¼ cups wild rice

1 cup + 2 tbsp sliced natural almonds

¾ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup pumpkin seeds

3⅓ cups gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats

¾ cup flaxseeds

2½ cups white or black chia seeds

1½ tbsp psyllium husk powder

2 tsp fine sea salt

2 tbsp + 2 tsp pure maple syrup

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp organic canola oil

2⅔ cups water

How to Make

Pulse the wild rice in a food processor until it is lightly scored and broken up (a few seconds). Transfer to a large glass jar with a lid, then fill the jar with cold filtered water. The rice will soak up a lot of water and bloom, so make sure it’s well covered with water and has space to swell. Screw on the lid and leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf tin with olive oil and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

Scatter the almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and lightly toast in the oven until they are golden brown (5 to 7 minutes). Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the bloomed wild rice through a sieve. Set the sieve over a bowl to continue draining.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flaxseeds, chia seeds, psyllium husk powder and salt. Add the cooled toasted almond and seed mixture, along with the maple syrup, olive oil, canola oil, water and wild rice. Hold the bowl with one hand and, with your other hand, squeeze and combine everything together until it is well mixed and bound together (at least 5 minutes).

With wet hands, form the mixture into an oval and drop it into the lined tin. Wet your hand again and compress the mixture to fill all the corners of the tin, then lightly round the top. This bread has no raising agent, so the neater it looks now, the more appealing it will look once it is baked. Cover the tin with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight. This rest will help with flavour and, more importantly, texture.

Preheat the oven to 385°F. Bake the loaf until deep golden brown all over and a probe thermometer inserted into the centre reaches 200°F (60 to 70 minutes). Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for 30 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack and let cool completely, or for at least 3 hours, before slicing it. The loaf will crumble apart if it is cut too early.

Store the loaf, loosely covered, in the fridge for up to 1 week (the toasted seeds will turn bad if left at room temperature). Alternatively, slice the loaf, wrap it in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 1 month. You can toast it straight from the freezer.

Photo by Janis Nicolay

Find the cookbook on bookshelves November 7, 2023.

Excerpted from Bred by Edward Tatton and Natasha Tatton.
Copyright © 2023 Edward Tatton and Natasha Tatton. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.