Description
Fresh rhubarb is perfect for baking this Healthy Rhubarb Quick Bread recipe, but frozen rhubarb will also work. The ingredients do not contain gluten/wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, oats or oil. The trick to creating such a wonderfully soft and light texture is baking with steam! For an extra special delicious treat, prepare homemade rhubarb strawberry jam to serve with a slice—it’s incredible!
TOOLS: mixing bowl, whisk, measuring cups/spoons or kitchen scale, sifter, 8.5 x 4.5-inch standard loaf pan (or square or round 9-inch cake pan), unbleached parchment paper, Dutch oven or deep roasting pan (or large cast iron skillet).
IMPORTANT: Ensure your bread baking pan has no opened corners; water might seep in when baking with steam.
Ingredients
- 7g (1 rounded tablespoon) psyllium husk (whole)(or 2 tbsps golden flaxseed meal or ground flax)
- 200g/200ml (scant 1 cup) warm 110°F water
- 70g (1/2 cup) organic coconut palm sugar*
- 250g (1 cup) plain vegan yogurt**
- 90g (3/4 cup) brown rice flour
- 90g (3/4 cup) sorghum flour
- 60g (1/2 cup) tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon GF baking powder***
- 1/4 tsp organic ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 100g (1 cup) fresh or frozen rhubarb, chopped****
Topping Ingredients (optional)
- 2 tbsps organic coconut palm sugar
- 1/4 tsp organic ground cinnamon (optional)
Plus, a few pieces of chopped rhubarb for decoration.
Instructions
Watch the recipe video before you begin.
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350°F. If you have a large Dutch oven (ensure your cake or bread pan fits into it), preheat it at the same time as the oven. Line the bottom of a cake pan (9-inch square or round) with unbleached parchment paper. If using a bread pan, line the whole pan, bottom and sides (like a sling) with unbleached parchment paper. Using a Dutch oven is optional, but the steam it creates when baking will help the eggless and gluten-free bread be lighter. If you don’t have a large Dutch oven, place your bread baking vessel into a larger deep roasting pan.
Step 2 – Before mixing the cake ingredients, prepare (wash, dry, chop) the rhubarb into smaller 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch pieces. Sift and combine the sugar and ground cinnamon topping, and set aside.
Step 3 – Combine and whisk the psyllium husk in a large bowl with warm water. To the same bowl, add the sugar (sift the sugar first if clumpy) and yogurt and whisk until smooth.
Step 4 – Place a sifter overtop the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients (flour combo, starch, GF baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt), sift and mix by hand with a spoon until well incorporated. Fold in the rhubarb. Don’t over-mix.
Step 5 – Transfer the bread batter to the prepared pan with a soft spatula, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon overtop. Decorate with a few extra pieces of rhubarb.
Step 6 – If baking in a Dutch oven, place the bread pan (or cake pan) into the preheated Dutch oven (be very careful as it will be hot), add a few ice cubes on each side of the pan or pour a little bit of water (1/2 cup) to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Bake 45 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered or until the top of the loaf feels set, and the edges start to darken. If baking with a deep roasting pan, place the bread pan into the roasting pan, add a few ice cubes or water, and bake for 55 minutes uncovered. Do not open the oven during the first 45 minutes of baking time.
Step 7 – Cool for 20 minutes before removing the bread from the bread pan. Peel off the parchment paper and finish cooling on a wire rack. Leaving the bread in the pan too long could make it soggy.
For the cake pan version, run a knife along the edge after it has cooled for 20 minutes, then place a wire rack over the top to help you flip the bread upside down and then back onto a serving plate to finish cooling. You can peel off the parchment paper or leave it on before you flip the bread over.
Enjoy fresh, and the leftovers are equally excellent! If you have homemade strawberry rhubarb jam, serve a slice with a generous spoonful—it’s SO good!
Notes
If you don’t have a rhubarb patch in your garden, you can usually find some freshly cut rhubarb at your local food store during the rhubarb season if rhubarb grows in your area. Another option is to head to the freezer section of your local grocer. It’s often with the other frozen fruits. I could only find a combo of frozen rhubarb and strawberries, which is also great for this tasty bread recipe.
SUB brown rice flour with light buckwheat flour. Not tested.
SUB sorghum flour with organic millet flour, GF oat flour or almond meal. Not tested.
SUB organic coconut palm sugar with pure maple sugar, organic light or dark brown sugar or organic cane sugar. Not tested.
SUB tapioca starch with arrowroot or potato starch, cornstarch, or a combo of 2.
SUB organic ground cinnamon with pure vanilla bean powder.
*Half a cup of sugar is added to the bread recipe to keep the added sugar on the lower side. For me, it’s just right. If you like sweeter bread, try increasing the sugar slightly. See the sugar substitutions listed above if you don’t have coconut sugar.
**I used Silk Unsweetened Plain Coconut Yogurt. It doesn’t include gums and only 1g of sugar per 3/4 cup.
***My homemade GF baking powder contains tapioca starch, cream of tartar and baking soda. I also tested Bob’s Red Mill GF Baking Powder containing different ingredients, including cornstarch. Sometimes, depending on the brand of baking powder added, 1 tablespoon could be too much. If unsure, 2 teaspoons is a great start. Adding too much can make the bread taste strange (if it contains aluminum) and creates a crumbly texture because of the baking soda in the baking powder.
**** If you LOVE rhubarb, you can easily add up to 150g (1-1/2 cups), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces. If sweet strawberries are also in season, add a combo of both.