Searching for South American recipes for Hillelfest this past winter, I happen upon a recipe for honey quinoa bread. Tweaking here and there, the bread is very tasty. Slightly nutty, a little chewy, it is a great high protein bread eaten to very positive approval ratings. It does have wheat flour so it isn't gluten-free; sorry! But wait, there's more: the recipe doesn't have any eggs. I just noticed and that is a good thing for those vegans out there.

Now, I use the word 'bread' with caution and haven't consulted a rabbi. There is water and a little soy milk in the dough, I think enough water to maintain its 'bread' status. That said, consult your rabbi if you wonder if challah should be taken and which blessings should be said. I vote for washing and bentching but let me know if you hear otherwise. And, truthfully, if the soy milk was substituted with water it probably wouldn't matter.

In our damp winter season, this bread takes a while to rise. Don't be in a hurry as the flavor really develops with time. I sprinkle the top with the tri-colored quinoa for added appeal. Give it a try, it is a real treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup warm soy milk
• 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons raw quinoa for the top

Steps:

In a small sauce pan, combine quinoa, oatmeal and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow the water to be absorbed. Uncover and transfer to a bowl to cool. This is important; if you toss this hot mixture into your yeast sponge, you'll kill it!

While the quinoa/oatmeal cooks, put the yeast and warm soy milk into a large bowl. Stir and then let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Add the honey and 1 cup of the bread flour to the yeast mixture and stir well. Add the cooled quinoa/oatmeal mixture and stir well. Add the whole wheat flour and 1 more cup of the bread flour and mix. When it starts to get stiff, transfer to the work surface and start to knead, adding more flour as necessary. Knead by hand for 10 minutes. It'll be a little sticky but it should hold a round ball shape and be smooth. Shape into 2 round balls and place on an oiled sheet pan. Or, shape to fit 2 8" loaf pans. Brush with water and sprinkle with the raw quinoa.  Set aside to rise until almost double in bulk. Preheat the oven to 400' about 10 minutes before baking. When you put the loaves into the oven, add a tray of ice cubes to the bottom of the oven to create a steam. Bake for 45' or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If they brown too quickly, cover with foil after about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from pans if using. Cool before slicing (if you can wait that long!).

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Comments:

Zachary: I'm confused about the water used. How much is boiled with the quinoa and oatmeal? And how much is used in the final dough?

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Leah: Hi Zachary, Thanks for catching the glitch - it's the warm soy milk that goes with the yeast. Leah

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Zachary: Thanks, I'll give this recipe a try sometime.

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Pola: Hi Leah, it does not say in your recipe when to add the salt and oil which made it confusing to me.

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