Sandwich Bread

Growing up in Moldova, I was responsible for buying bread, daily. This was my chore. Fresh bread would get delivered at Five in the afternoon and I had to get to the store a few minutes before or it would be gone. 

The bakery itself was located only 3 blocks away, right outside my grade school. I know because I’d often sneak out of my classes to get myself a warm soft булочка (bun). 

So when the clock would turn 4:45 pm, my bestie and I would leave the dolls with our friends and head to the Bread Store – Хлебный. Our parents would each give us 12 Копеек (12 Kopecks,) the exact change for one white loaf. By the time we’d get home, my loaf would look like swiss cheese – I’d eat all the soft insides and bring back the “whole-y” crust. My dad would get really mad at me – bread was the main food group in our family and, now, we’d be out of bread until tomorrow at 5 pm. The next day, history repeated itself. For years. Until finally my parents gave me enough money to buy two loaves. 

Sandwich Bread

Note on psyllium powder: it sometimes shifts the color of the baked goods to purple. If that happens to you (like it did to me with this batch), don’t sweat it – it won’t alter the taste or texture.

This bread toughens up a bit and forms a crispy crust when left uncovered. If you like it soft and bread-like, keep it in a bag.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unflavored egg white protein powder
• 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup unsweetened smooth almond butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Combine the egg white protein, psyllium husk powder, salt, and baking powder in a small bow. Mix
3. In a different bowl, combine the nut butter, egg yolks, and almond milk and beat until well combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix again
4. In a third bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer for this,) beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold the egg whites into the rest of the mixture gently until smooth. Pour into a lined (or silicone) 9×5-in loaf pan
6. Bake for 45 min. Cool and serve

Drink Pairing

It’s winter and I enjoy chasing bread down with warm tea. I like it so much that I have over a dozen different teas at home – the newest addition is Equal Exchange Earl Grey that I get at Imperfect Produce