Why do we call this bread “The Mountain Loaf”? Because it is 1.5kg 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.
Wild rice is also known as Canadian rice and is grown in Saskatchewan. It is second to oats in protein content per 100 calories. The small amount of maple syrup doesn’t sweeten this bread, it just helps balance the flavour and maintains the softness.
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. Because it is so dense and heavy, but also delicious and nutritious, you only need the thinnest slice or two to feel satiated.
Preparation
Makes one 1.5kg tin loaf, 15 thin slices
50g (¼ cup) wild rice
75g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) sliced natural almonds
100g (¾ cup) sunflower seeds
50g (½ cup) pumpkin seeds
300g (3 1/3 cups) gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
125g (¾ cup) flaxseeds
25g (2 ½ tablespoons) white or black chia seeds
15g (1½ tablespoons) psyllium husk powder
12g (2 teaspoons) fine sea salt
40g (2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) pure maple syrup
40g (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
15g (1 tablespoon) organic canola oil
625g (2 2/3 cups) water
Soak the wild rice
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 and fill it 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.
Mix the dough and let rest
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly coat a 9 × 5 × 3-inch (23 × 12 × 8cm) 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, 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 or overnight. This rest will help with flavour and, more importantly, texture.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 385 F (195 C).
Bake the loaf until deep golden brown all over and a probe thermometer inserted into the centre reaches 200 F (93 C), 60 to 70 minutes. Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for 30 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a cooling 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.
I like to allow the loaf to cool and then place it in the fridge overnight. It’s a long process but worth the wait!
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.
