When it comes to the commercial sliced white bread we all ate growing up, I’m getting real close to that texture and neutral flavor with this recipe. I made an outstanding tuna sandwich today and didn’t have to suffer the taste of flax! This “white bread” version has a much softer texture than my darker version. This bread is not the slightest bit crumbly, thanks to the chia gel.

This quick bread is suitable for all those who have reached the nuts and seeds rung of the Atkins OWL carb ladder and for Keto followers. With the whey protein, this is not suitable for Primal-Paleo followers.

You can get chia seeds at most health food stores, Whole Foods, probably Trader Joe’s, and also order them from a variety of on-line sources, including Netrition.com as well as most on-line pharmacy companies. I always grind the seeds in a blender or coffee grinder so they will be less visible in my baked goods and so it will gel up faster. White chia seeds are preferred in this recipe, but I have made it with the dark chia seeds as well (or a mixture of the two.

CHIA GEL RECIPE: In a small lidded jar mix 1 T. ground chia with 9 T. water. Screw lid on and shake it up every 3-5 minutes or so until it gels up (about 10 minutes total). Any leftover gel will keep in the refrigerator for about a week for making more bread or chia puddings/shakes.

This bread is more suited to cold sandwiches, as it doesn’t toast any better than most non-flour low-carb breads do. It will brown nicely and firm up enough for spreading jam or jelly but it’s never going to get that crunchiness or toasted grain taste we all love that real flour can yield. 🙂 Just not gonna happen. No big surprise there..

Note: To bake a larger batch, cook in a conventional 350º oven. Make 8 recipes and spoon/spread into an 11½”x16½” steel pan lined with parchment on the bottom and up the long sides. Just oil the short sides of the pan. It cooks in 10-11 minutes (longer for browner crust). I found the texture and flavor to be just about the same as cooking in the microwave. Large batch makes 12 small slices, each contains 2.93 net carbs.



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INGREDIENTS:

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp. olive oil

½ T. chia gel (made by the recipe above)

1½ T. water

pinch salt

2 T. whey protein powder, unflavored, unsweetened

¼ c. almond flour

½ tsp. baking powder

DIRECTIONS: In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg, olive oil, chia gel and water together until smooth. Measure the dry ingredients on top and stir to blend well. Pour into square baking dish that is at least 1″ deep. Microwave on HI for 1 minute. Center will be dry to the touch when it is done. Cook few seconds longer if needed. Tip out onto cutting board and cool a few minutes. Slice laterally as evenly as possible into two thinner slices and enjoy any way you would normally use sliced white bread!

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Makes 2 slices. Entire recipe contains:

358 calories, 26.4 g fat, 8.1 g carbs, 3.3 g fiber, 4.8 g NET CARBS (both slices!), 32.4 g protein, 454 mg sodium