Grain Free Charcuterie Bread:

Name: Grain Free Charcuterie Bread
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Ingredients: 2 cups warm water; 1 tbsp fast rise yeast; 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp avocado oil; 1 egg; 2 tsp salt; 3 1/3 cup almond flour; 1 2/3 arrowroot flour; 4 tbsp coconut flour; 2 tsp baking powder

Plus, A Bonus Greek Salsa Recipe You Won’t Want To Miss!

Jump to Recipe

Introduction

Welcome to the age of adult lunchables, otherwise known as charcuterie boards (1990’s kids holla!). Of course, in order to eat this childhood delicacy without feeling childish, we had to spice things up a bit.

No more blocks of plastic cheese or watered down ham. Charcuterie boards are layered in a wide range of fancy meats, cheeses, fruits, breads, crackers, and dips that will leave you grazing all day long. The possibilities, and pairings, are endless!

But we didn’t stop there! Burger boards, breakfast boards, and DESSERT BOARDS…oh, my! Charcuterie has literally taken over social media by storm. And no wonder! The artistry of a charcuterie board is as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the stomach. Some local shops have even started offering workshops in how to make the perfect charcuterie board.

If you’d like to learn how to charcuterie, but don’t want to pay for a local workshop, visit Wanderlust and Wellness’ Charcuterie Board For Beginners for ideas on how to get started.

As amazing as charcuterie is, one thing is always missing…a grain free bread option. In the past, I have substituted bread for cauliflower crackers, only to find out later that wheat flour is one of the ingredients. So disappointing! I mean, a lunchable isn’t a lunchable without a foundation item!

So…I did what I do best. If there’s not a satisfactory enough grain free bread option out there, then I’m going to make one myself...

All About That Trial And Error

If you’ve ever tried a paleo bread recipe before, you know that the taste and texture is never quite right. In my experience, it’s because most recipes use apple cider vinegar or a large amount of eggs. These ingredients make the bread taste exactly how it sounds…eggy and acidic! Yuck!

I knew I wanted my bread to be as close to the real things as possible, so the first thing I did was research wheat flour bread recipes. This would give me a good idea of where to begin. I found the Tastes Better From Scratch Homemade Bread Recipe and decided to get to work.

Attempt #1

In attempt #1, I decided to directly substitute the normal ingredients for my paleo substitutions. I substituted my 2/3-1/3 mix of almond flour and arrowroot starch for the wheat flour. For the sugar, I used honey. I added avocado oil in place of vegetable oil. Other than those substitutions, I followed the recipe to a T. It was all going well, until I realized the dough wasn’t a dough…it was a batter.

You see, wheat flour contains gluten, which binds everything together. The more you build the gluten (usually by kneading), the more elastic the dough. But, since this was a batter and not a kneadable dough, what was I supposed to do next?

In the end, I decided to pop the batter into 2 loaf pans and bake as directed. Did it work…kinda. Just like bread, it needed time for the yeast to rise. Since I didn’t do that, my loaf ended up being “under proofed and under baked” (thanks for the vocab Great British Baking Show!). However, it actually tasted like bread! That was even more exciting than a well baked loaf would have been. I was on to something…

Attempts #2 And #3

The next batch of batter, I decided to repeat my steps but add 2 tbsp of coconut flour to absorb the liquid of the batter, reduce the honey, and add an egg to bind it. I was so excited to give it a whirl!

I made the batter with the adjustments mentioned, and then let it rise for an hour to see what would happen. To my amazement, it worked! Through my glass loaf pans, I could see the glorious air pockets forming and the batter was rising. After the hour was up, I popped both pans into the preheated oven and set the timer.

Since the dough had risen and wasn’t nearly as dense as attempt #1, I decided to bake the loaves for 30 mins, or until golden brown. When the timer went off, I pulled them out and transferred them to a cooling rack.

After cooling for a bit, I cut into the first loaf (attempt #2) to found it under baked and sinking in the middle. I quickly popped the other loaf (atttempt #3) back into the oven and cooked for another 15mins. This time, it was perfect….or almost. The bread was still a little bit too wet in texture. Not because of being under baked, but because the batter was still not quite right. Attempt #2 and #3 were closer, but still not quite right.

Attempt #4

Now that I had the perfect bake time, I needed to tweak the batter for this recipe to be complete. I decided to double the coconut flour and add 2 tsp of baking powder.

I repeated all the previous steps, added the two new items, raised the dough for an hour, and baked for 45 mins. This time, it was perfection! My super picky, beige-food-only eating son gobbled up half the loaf before it cooled. Considering that he hates the texture of all nut flours and is skeptical of anything Paleo, it was the highest compliment I could receive.

Just to be sure it wasn’t a fluke, I had a few of my friends taste the bread without telling them it was Paleo (or that I invented the recipe myself). I toasted some slices and served it with Greek salsa. Low and behold, the plates were empty and the reviews were raving. They couldn’t believe it when I told them it was grain free! One friend even responded with “I thought it was a baguette!”

Just a warning, this recipe makes half height loaves. In the future, I’m going to experiment with different pans, letting it rise overnight, and possibly adjusting the amount of batter in each dish to create sandwich loaves, burger buns, and more. Until then, it makes an absolute incredible addition to any charcuterie board. It can also be used to make slider sandwiches. It’s even better toasted!

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Click to my Contact page to leave me your review!

BONUS: Greek Salsa Recipe

This amazing recipe was shared by a friend of mine who is passionate about the Keto way life. If you’ve never tried a Jessica Hagge-Kroymann recipe, you’re truly missing out!

Keep it simple by serving a spoonful of Greek salsa on top of a toasted slice of Grain Free Charcuterie Bread. Or, level up by adding it to your full charcuterie board for an indulgent tray of self care. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this perfect post extra!

Greek Salsa

Ingredients

2 large Roma tomatoes, diced petite
1/2 large onion (or 2-3 stalks green onion), diced petite
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning, to taste (I use around 1 tsp or so)
Fresh chopped parsley

Directions

Combine diced tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a bowl.
Drizzle olive oil and seasoning over mixture. Toss until combined.
Garnish with fresh parsley on top!

Conclusion