Beluga Bread
What is “Beluga Bread” you may ask?
It’s a bread-like invention using black Beluga lentils (of course haha)! These small black lentils were on sale at the local health store and I just had to try them. I’ve professed my love for lentils previously so you can imagine my excitement when I saw a black variety to experiment with! I know these lentils aren’t extremely rare but I had never seen them in a grocery store before and couldn’t pass them up.
Bread was definitely on the to-do list since I made several versions before:
“Angry bread” and “black bread” have a more ominous tone and I was in a happy mood so “Beluga Bread” it was 🙂 It had been awhile since I last enjoyed this flatbread and I was not disappointed in the least! Filling, satisfying and delicious, I ate part of the bread alongside my chicken salad-salad at lunch, slathered it with hummus for a snack and as an accompaniment to a bowl of wild rice soup for dinner…I will be making this again pronto!
Beluga Bread (Grain-free, Vegan) adapted from my Lentil Flatbread
Beluga Bread
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup black beluga lentils
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 1 cup water
- generous pinch(s) of salt (this is your main seasoning so don't skimp)
- 2-3 Tbsp coconut oil, olive oil, butter, Earth Balance or ghee (use oil or EB for vegan)
- your favorite herbs or spices, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a small blender with grind attachment, food processor or a spice grinder, add lentils and grind to a flour. (I use my Magic Bullet with the flat blade).
- Add the coconut oil (or oil/butter of choice) to a 8x8 or 9x9 pan* and let melt in the oven and warm (about 2 minutes). Meanwhile, add flaxseed meal, water and salt to ground lentils and blend again for about 15 seconds. It should resemble a thick but pourable pancake batter after it sits (the flax and lentils will start absorbing the water the longer it sits).
- When oil is hot and melted, pour batter into the pan and spread with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the bread forms a crust. Let cool slightly, cut and enjoy warm!
Bread can be refrigerated and toasted to reheat if needed.
*You can make the bread thick or thin by choosing your baking dish and add herbs and spices for different flavor variations. I prefer a medium thickness instead of a pizza crust thinness because I like the slightly crunchy outsides and a middle with a slight chew. If you prefer a crisper texture throughout, baking a larger pan or divide batter into two loaf pans. You will need to reduce cooking time for thinner bread, and in turn increase cooking time for thicker (about 5 minutes).
With the roasted red pepper hummus on top, it could definitely pass for a Halloween bread – don’t you think?
