Rye Bread

Oh boy! I don’t think there’s anything more difficult in raw preparation than coming up with a raw-vegan bread. So when I asked Marie if we could eat rye raw (say that 10 times fast). I was thrilled when she said yes. And our rye bread pursuit began.

Rye bread is very aromatic. The scent comes from caraway seeds and not the rye bread itself. So be generous when adding it if you want it to taste like the rye bread you’re used to. If it was up to Marie it would be called Caraway Bread instead, she wanted me to use twice as much.

Warning to those that are gluten sensitive. Rye is not for you. I would replace the rye berries with oat groats. We are planning on trying that ourselves in the very near future, but it will probably be for a completely different recipe.

Moving on, I contemplated making a cream cheese to spread over it. Well, since there is absolutely no way to really make a “delicious” sour tasting cheese without a living organism, we decided to just make our yummy tried and true cheese instead Garlic & Herb Cheese Wheel

Before you all come down on me about my statement above, I want you to know I tried to make cream cheese before and tried again for this recipe. The alternative of using vinegar was to say the least…off. I got tired of ruining expensive raw cashews in my pursuit. Sometimes emulating a flavor just close enough doesn’t justify the waste. In my opinion it tasted pretty gross and you would be better off adding a briny topping to enhance the flavor. Don’t limit yourself on toppings. This rye bread can be eaten soft or hard like a wassa cracker. The skies the limit.

RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Rye Bread

1/2 cup raw rye berries (sprouted)

1 tsp chia seeds (measure before grinding)

1/2 cup oats (measure before grinding into flour)

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp maple syrup

pinch salt

1/8 cup filtered water

1/8 cup caraway seeds (or as much as you like)

Soak a half cup of rye berries for 2-3 days (if it’s warmer in your home it will take a little less time. Instructions for sprouting are here Soaking and Sprouting: Patience is a Virtue

Ground 1/2 cup of oats with 1 tsp of chia seed until it’s a fine flour.

Take the drained, sprouted rye berries and pulverize, leaving it lumpy. Add oat flour, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and filtered water slowly until it forms a ball. I used my bullet for this (which took a little patience), but a food processor or even a blender will work. Scrape sides until everything is blended. Small pieces of rye berries are fine, I like it better that way personally. Form into an even, flat loaf so that it dries evenly. Sprinkle bread with caraway seeds to coat (I lightly pressed it into the loaf) and place in the dehydrator on a rack or aerated sheet at 115 degrees for 4-5 hours.

Remove and slice evenly with a sharp knife. Wipe the knife down in between slices for cleaner cuts. Place back in the dehydrator at 115 degrees for another 10-12 hours, turning the pieces over at the halfway point or 24 hours if you prefer them to have a cracker consistency. If you choose to keep it as a solid loaf it will be very difficult to slice.

I spread Garlic & Herb Cheese Wheel on my rye bread and topped it with olives, dehydrated tomato slices, “caramelized” onions and dried jalapenos with cayenne pepper.

“Caramelized” Onions

1 large maui (any onion or shallot will work)

4 cloves garlic

1 tblsp olive oil

1 tsp Shoyu Sauce

Slice onion and mix all ingredients together. Place in a heat resistant bowl in the bottom of the dehydrator at 115 degrees for 6 hours, tossing every hour just to coat the onions. The onions will sweat and soften, absorbing the other ingredients.