Who doesn’t love having a good sandwich or a good piece of toast? It’s a staple for most folks. For these purposes, I created this Paleo Bread Loaf Recipe.

Our Favorite Everyday Loaf of Bread

Prep: 30-40 minutes   Cook time: 45-50 minutes  Yields: 12-16 slices of bread

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces (3 cups) of Blanched Almonds for Almond Butter Making
• 5 Room Temperature Eggs, separated into two bowls- the yokes in a large mixing bowl and the whites in a medium size mixing bowl. (Room Temperature aspect: SO important- set them out about 5-10 minutes before you make your almond butter, or 30 minutes before you begin the creaming process- if you forget- see this tip.)
• 1/4 cup of Palm Shortening (or Grass-fed Butter at room temperature)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Cream of Tater
• 2 tbsp Arrowroot Powder (or Tapioca Starch)
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Directions:

1. First– read through ALL directions before beginning 🙂 and then Second: the base of this bread must be made: Blanched Almond Butter.
2. Take your 12 ounces of blanched almonds (3 cups) and spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet. Turn on your oven to 350 degrees and immediately put in your almonds.  Toast them for about 10 minutes- Give them a good stir half-way through. Keep a close eye on them, they burn quickly.*
3. Once you remove your toasted almonds from the oven, place them in the smaller attachment (if you have one, if not, the larger portion is fine) of your food processor.** Place on the top and remove the “food pusher” (the smaller part of the “food pusher” if applicable to yours). Letting them process while they are warm speeds up the process- removing the “food pusher” lets the steam escape.
4. Process the almonds until the butter forms and looks like a thick liquid.  It’ll probably take 10- 15 minutes. Scrap down the sides often.***
5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place a small oven-safe dish filled with water on the bottom rack of the oven.  It will create steam- this helps with rising and making a crust                                                           
6. Grab your loaf pan- 4×8 if you have it! I’m sure 5×9 works as well- the bread will not be as tall.  Place parchment paper in the bottom, and grease the sides with butter, oil, or shortening.
7. Now for the fun part! Grab your hand mixer (or Kitchen Aid Mixer)- cream the shortening and the egg yokes- add a spoonful of the blanched almond butter to the mixture in order to temper it- the almond butter will be pretty warm! Once it has been incorporated- cream in the rest. (If made ahead- can all be creamed at once. See note below.)
8. Mix in the arrowroot, salt, and baking soda.
9. the separate medium bowl, on medium speed with clean and dry mixing attachments whip up your egg whites with the cream of tatar (helps with forming and later rising) until soft peaks begin to form.
10. A little at a time fold the egg whites into your creamed batter with a rubber spatula- at first it may not seem to mix-in well- but keep slowly and carefully adding egg whites and folding them in. Your batter will be airy, but should also be smooth. Immediately pour in your loaf pan. Place in oven. Cook for 45-50 min.  DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN-After 40-45 minutes, feel free to then begin checking the bread by inserting a toothpick into the top of the bread (should be clean when taken out when it’s done).  Opening the oven prematurely will release the steam- no crust 🙁 —I normally cook this bread for the full 50 minutes- but you know your oven better than I do.
11. Once it is done- let it cool for 5-10 min. Use a knife to run down the sides of the bread and the pan, turn over unto cooling rack or plate. Let it finish cooling (if you can manage) and slice! Store in an airtight container- lasts up to 5-7 days out of the fridge, longer in the fridge.

*The goal for toasting almonds here is not only enhancing flavor- but also for the almonds to begin to release their oil.  You can skip this part and immediately place them in your food processor- but it will take longer for the butter to form (15-20 min).

**At this point feel free to turn off your oven while the butter processes.

***This step can be done ahead of time and the almond butter can be stored in the fridge, but it must be set out 30 minutes before you begin to bring it to room temperature for the recipe to work properly.

We LOVE this bread- Ryan’s favorite way to have it? Toasted with apple butter and Kerigold butter on top.  Mine? A bacon and egg breakfast sandwich!

Get creative! Share your favorite sandwich! Feel free to ask any questions- this recipe is pretty detailed in instruction- but for those craving a good sandwich it’s totally worth the effort and attention to detail! I promise.

Enjoy 🙂