Coconut Flour Cheese Bread
I have the unlucky genetics to be a borderline diabetic. Fortunately, I have never been obese and I am able to control my blood sugar completely through diet and exercise, which has added benefits to my blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress level.
One of the biggest challenges of eating to keep my blood sugar on an even keel is the total elimination of grains and simple carbohydrates from my diet. For breads and baking, almond flour and coconut flour have been my saving graces. Almond flour, though delicious and easy to use, has a tendency to cause me stomach upset.
Almond flour has other drawbacks as well. A single cup of almond flour contains approximately 90 almonds. Eating almond flour “tricks” your body into consuming many more calories through almonds than you would normally eat if you were consuming whole almonds. Gustatory learning is an important evolutionary mechanism and generally, interfering with it just seems like a bad idea.
Almonds are also very high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). While not inherently bad, when consumed in high quantities, they can have effects, including the following:
- Suppression of mitochondrial energy production (slowing metabolism);
- Increase in inflammatory response in the body;
- Impairment of the action of certain digestive enzymes;
- Slowing of thyroid function;
- Inhibition of detoxification enzymes;
- Depletion of antioxidants in the body;
- Inhibition of production of progesterone and androgens while activating production of estrogen, which may contribute to weight gain, PMS, hormonalacne and more.
Coconut flour is the byproduct of coconut milk, the leftover coconut “meat,” dried and ground into flour. It is gluten free, grain free and nut free. It is high in fiber and relatively high in protein. It also has a very dense and silky texture and a very small amount goes a long way in a recipe.
The problem I have found with coconut flour is that often it produces baked goods thatare too dry and too crumbly.
This recipe makes a small, single loaf. It forges a delicious partnership for breakfast and is both flavorful and filling. I developed this recipe to try to address texture. This is lighter and more moist than other coconut flour breads I have tried.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium sized bowl, mix eggs, butter and sea salt until well blended. Combine sifted coconut flour and baking powder and whisk them into the batter until lump-free. Mix in sour cream until blended. Add 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Spoon the batter into a very well greased loaf pan. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Serve warm, generously buttered.
