High Protein Tofu Lentil Bread (4 ingredients)

Learn how to make a loaf of high protein tofu lentil bread (10 grams protein per slice!) without flour, oil, gluten or grains. Make the batter in a blender (with ease) and bake up a hearty loaf that is wonderful plain or toastedwith all of your go-to toppings.

Grain-Free Vegan Protein Bread

This bread is inspired by a viral recipe for cottage cheese lentil bread that looked intriguing, except for the cottage cheese part :). I knew I had to try it, with some plant-based tweaks.

In place of the cottage cheese, I gave firm tofu a try. I liked the bread overall, but the bottom inch of the bread was very wet and compacted, and almost raw in flavor. I noticed this same density in photos of the original cottage cheese lentil bread, too.

The bread definitely needed a boost to help it stay tall from its baking powder rise. Some whole psyllium husks did the trick! The husks also add to the crustiness of the bread (hooray for crust!).

The bread is hearty, with the taste and texture of German-style loaf of bread. It makes excellent toast, can be sliced thin for sandwiches, and is also a reliable accompaniment to soups and salads.

My cheap-o side also loves the frugality of this protein loaf. A popular brand of protein bread at our local supermarket costs close to nine dollars (eek!). So making this loaf will make you feel good in many more ways than one.

Recipe Benefits

• Made with 4 ingredients
• High protein
• High fiber
• Grain-free
• Gluten-free
• Vegan (egg-free & dairy-free}
• Frugal
• Oil-free (e.g., no olive oil, coconut oil or other vegetable oil)
• Nut-free
• Flourless
• Minimal ingredients
• No added starches (e.g., tapioca starch, potato starch)
• Fast & straightforward to prepare
• No yeast

Ingredients for High Protein Tofu Lentil Bread

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Uncooked lentils (Any variety: e.g.,brown lentils, split red lentils, green lentils, black lentils)
• Extra-firm tofu
• Whole psyllium husks (not psyllium husk powder)
• Baking powder (certified gluten-free, as needed)
  • Optional: salt

The gluten free bread recipe also uses plain water (I use filtered tap water). Salt is an optional ingredient.

Salt is an optional ingredient. You do not needed to use it for the recipe to work, so you can omit it altogether, or reduce the amount to what suits your needs. I like to add salt to the recipe, so I provide a recommended amount of salt (to enhance the flavor of the bread).

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

• Step One: Soak the LentilsPlace the lentils in a large mixing bowl. Cover with enough boiling water to cover the lentils with 1 to 2 inches of liquid. Allow to soak for 20 minutes, then drain through a mesh sieve or colander. Rinse the lentils under cool water, draining any excess water.

• Step Two: Preheat the Oven and Prepare the PanPreheat the oven to 350F (180C). If your oven has a convection setting, I recommend that youdo not use it for this bread. This bread needs to be baked using the regular (radiant) heat. More about this in the FAQS at the end of the post.
• Line a 9×5 inch (22.5×12.5 cm) loaf pan with nonstick parchment paper. If you are ok, with adding oil to the recipe, you can opt to spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray, or lightly oil/grease the pan.
• Step Three: Blend Tofu and WaterPlace the drained drained tofu (crumble, cut into cubes, or break into pieces) and 1/2 cup water in a blender (a high-speed blender or regular blender). Blend until smooth.
• Step Four: Add Lentils to BlenderAdd the drained, soaked lentils to the tofu mixture. Blend on high speed, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the blender container, until the lentils are completely broken down and the batter is smooth (the mixture will be thick).
• Step Five: Add Remaining IngredientsScrape the batter into alarge mixing bowl(it will get too thick, with the psyllium husks, in the blender). Add the psyllium husks,baking powder, and optional salt to the bowl. Stir until blended.
• Step Six: Spread into Prepared PanSpread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon. Cut a line (about 1/2 inch deep) through the middle of the batter (lengthwise).
• Step Seven: Bakethe BreadBake in the preheated 350F (180C) oven for 65 to 70 mins until risen and the surface of the bread is a deep golden brown. A tester inserted near the middle of the bread should come out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
• Step Eight: CoolTransfer the pan to acooling rack. Cool the bread in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf of bread from the dish (slide a butter knife around sides, as needed, to assist the release). Place the loaf on thecooling rackand cool completely.

Remove the loaf of bread from the dish (slide a butter knife around sides, as needed, to assist the release). Place the loaf on the cooling rack and cool completely.

Slice it Thick or Thin

This is a sturdy bread, so feel free to slice it thick, thin, or anywhere in between.

Texture & Taste

Texture:This is a hefty bread with significant rise and a firm texture. I love that I can slice it especially thin for sandwiches or thicker for toast (it makes great toast).

Taste:The bread has a neutral flavor reminiscent of a hearty wheat bread or whole grain bread.

Serving Suggestions

This high protein bread is satisfying on its own, or with light spread ofhummus, or vegan butter.

I like to eat the bread fresh the first day with whatever is on the menu for dinner (e.g., soup, salad, pasta). You can store it in the fridge for a few days, but I prefer to slice and freeze whatever is left. When I want another slice, I pop a frozen slice directly into the toaster for breakfast (I love it withcashew cream cheeseand jam), or for a snack (with a savory spread, like myGreen Pea Guacamole).

Flavor Variations

This bread can be flavored in a multitude of ways. For example, add fresh or dried herbs (e.g., a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, some fresh or dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet or savory spices, or ground pepper. You can also sprinkle the batter with seeds (e.g., sesame seeds, poppyseeds, hemp hearts) before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How should I store the high protein lentil tofu bread?Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 3 days, and the freezer for up to 6 months. As mentioned above, I like to slice the bread, before freezing, so I can remove one or a few slices at a time.
• Can I use other legumes in place of the lentils?I have not tested with other legumes, but that should work. Use the same weight (16 ounces) of dried beans in place of the lentils.
• Can I use a food processor instead of a blender?I do not recommend it. A food processor cannot liquify the lentils into a smooth batter.
• My oven has a convection setting. Should I use it for this bread?No, I do not recommend it. Convection ovens are wonderful for many types of recipes, but not every recipe. Convection ovens excel at quick, crisp cooking. They are not the right choice for long slow baking, and that is what this unconventional bread needs.
  • Convection ovens (or the convection oven setting) can force the outer layer of this bread to rise and separate from the inside of the bread. This will lead to several results: (1) a big bubble under the surface of the loaf; (2) a gooey middle and bottom; and (3) a hard outer crust.
  • This bread needs the moderate, radiant heat of a conventional (not convection) oven.
• My bread came out gooey in the middle. Why?The bread should not be gooey at all. But if it happens, possible reasons are as follows:
  • Baking in a a convection oven instead of conventional oven. See the section above explaining why this makes a huge difference.
  • Inaccurate measurements. Even if you have been baking since forever, it is possible that you mis-measured. It is straightforward to get distracted for a split second–it happens to everybody! If you measured using cups, I urge using a scale next time around. You will love using the scale to measure once you start.
  • Oven temperature is inaccurate.I regularly check my oven temperature setting using an inexpensive oven thermometer. Check to make sure the oven is accurate before baking. If the oven is too hot, it can force a faster rise to the bread, leading to a bubble under the top of the loaf.
• Can I Use one of your soy-free tofu recipes in place of the soy tofu?I have not tested it, but that should work fine. Use an equal amount of thered lentil tofu,pumpkin seed tofu,hemp tofu,any legume tofu,chickpea flour tofu, orsplit pea tofuthat has been made in the extra-firm manner.
• Can I Use Something Other than Whole Psyllium Husks?No, for this recipe it must be whole psyllium husks (or psyllium powder. See next question). Other gelling agents, such as flax seeds, flaxseed meal or chia seeds, will not work as direct substitutes (they might work, but it would involve some experimenting to determine their efficacy).
• Can I Use PsylliumPowder?I have only tested the bread with whole psyllium husks, not psyllium powder. You should be able to use an equal weight of psyllium powder (40 grams), which is 8 teaspoons of powder (or 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons pf powder).

Happy baking!

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