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Urad Dal Lentils made into a batter and baked to make a soft flavorful nutritious Lentil bread. This Lentil Sandwich Bread is Free of dairy, egg, soy, gluten, nut. Can be made corn-free. Can be made grain-free by omitting the rice flour. Paleo Vegan Glutenfree Recipe.
The amazing thing about Urad dal (split and dehusked black gram) batter is that it aerates by itself really well. Hence, the dal is the mandatory ingredient in the southern Indian crepes(Dosa) and steamed cakes(idli). Urad dal is also used to make Vadas(fried dumplings) which have just one main ingredient- urad dal.
Another feature of urad dal is that it keeps the final product moist and soft. All of these properties make it a great candidate to make today’s bread.
There really isn’t a substitute for Urad Dal. No other lentil works as the batter will not ferment. You can buy the urad dal lentils online on amazon Urad Dal Matpe Beans, Split
This bread might seem like it has a hard crust right after baking but it gets softer as it sits because the dal leaks moisture. The photos do not do justice to how soft and delicious this bread is. There is no gluten or gum or nuts or added yeast in this bread.
Welcome to my world of experimentation 🙂
The lentil batter can also be left at room temperature to ferment for a few hours for a more leavened bread. The dal attracts wild yeast and ferments. I am not sure if that would be technically called yeast-free after fermentation.
Things to know before jumping into this recipe, this bread is going to taste like urad dal lentils. This bread is denser than a usual sandwich bread. /the bread is also very moist. So if you slice it before it has cooled, it will feel like it has not cooked through, but it has. If the bread doesn’t turn out right, just add the chopped bread into any of the indian sauces or sambhar(split pea stew) to soften and serve.
Or make a mini loaf with 1/2 cup lentils in a mini loaf pan to try first. You can also make fat pancakes with the batter and use them as burger buns.
This bread is full of protein, so make some grilled sandwiches with this one for a hearty snack!
Urad Dal pictured below.
More gluten-free breads on the blog
GLUTEN-FREE FLAT-BREAD BURGER BUNS
GLUTEN-FREE OAT RICE FOCACCIA STYLE PIZZA CRUST
GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN WHITE BREAD LOAF Mini
GLUTEN-FREE STRAWBERRY SANDWICH BREAD
Lentil Bread - Gluten-free Vegan Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups urad dal, (split and skinned black gram- Urad Dal Matpe)
- 3 tbsp rice flour
- 3 Tbsp corn starch , or tapioca starch
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp flaxmeal , or psyllium husk
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp oil
Instructions
- Soak the urad dal overnight. Drain and add to a food processor. Process the dal until it is just slightly gritty. Process for 30 to 45 seconds then move the dal with a spatula. It will take 3 to 4 minutes to break the lentils down into a batter type consistency. Add just a little water (3 to 6 Tablespoons) to help with the processing. Add the rest of the ingredients and process for a minute to combine. Check the batter for aeration. (drop a half tsp of batter in a cup of water. The batter should float on the top). If not aerated well , transfer the thick batter to a bowl and whip with a large spoon a few times, then check again. the batter should be thick and pasty but also slightly bubbly.
- Drop batter into parchment lined bread pan. Spray oil on top and even it out using a light hand so the air in the batter is not pressed out.
- Preheat the oven to 395 degrees F / 200ºc. Bake for 45 minutes. Cover the bread with another parchment after first 15 to 20 minutes by placing the parchment on the loaf pan. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F / 190ºc after 45 minutes, remove parchment and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool completely before slicing. (about an hour). The bread slices more easily the next day. Refrigerate the bread for upto 5 days in an airtight container. The bread crust is crusty the first day and gets softer as it sits because of moisture. Moisture in the storage container after a day is normal. I like to use to bread with chutney toppings or simple sandwiches.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This bread sounds so easy and delicious! I can’t wait to make it 😀
Amazing! This should taste excellent. Plain idlis are tasty on their own. This bread is even better =)
Dear Richa,
In the past I have used a bit of urad dal in some South Indian vegetarian dishes. I like their nutty, crunchy texture. Now, thanks to you, I have a new way of using them in a recipe. Many thanks!!
They are also great to thicken soups if you can wait until they have collapsed. They collapse a lot quicker than other lentils…maybe red lentils do the same, but I don’t like the flavor as much.
the texture of this bread looks amazing! i cannot believe it is made with lentils. i really want a big old slice of this bread right now. man, i wish you delivered 😉
i made a bunch of sandwiches with the bread on Instagram :). it is a very filling bread.!
any insights about how well this would work in a bread machine?
Thanks!
It wont work in the bread machine. there is no rise time or yeast in it. It is more like baking a cake.
I make GF breads in my bread machine all the time. Just use the “quick bread” setting and there is no rise time. You would probably have to smooth the top when you put it in, though, and I’m not sure if this recipe would work because of the temperature changes and such, and I don’t know if you could still do the parchment.
Lentil bread!!! I’ve never Heard of that before but it has to be amazing <3
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
Looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it out (first thing tomorrow morning – going tp soak that dal now). Your blog is a treasure of wonderful ideas!
yay! let me know how it turns out!
It was delicious, and I’ll definitely make it again & again! 🙂
yay! so glad it turned out well and you liked it!
This bread is so interesting, do you think I can make it with regular lentils? I have never seen urad dal beans where I live.
they are available in Indian stores and online. I am not sure how well other lentils will work out. try a mini loaf with a 1/2 cup lentils
Is urid dal and urad dal the same thing?
yes. some brands use urid as the english phonetic name. they both are pronounced the same in hindi. 🙂
also see photos here https://fettabbau-trim.today/indian-dals-names%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Look for white lentils. It’s the same thing.
I am going to make this receipt with red lentils. They do ferment very well , I have tried them in different recepis. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I have made red lentil flatbread before and it was delicious . I haven’t tried sandwich bread. Let’s see how it turns out.
Hi Melissa , would you be ok to share the recipe of red lentil flatbed ?
Probably a variation of these with all red lentils. I’ve seen similar red lentil flatbreads on many blogs recently. Made thinner or fatter depending on use case. https://fettabbau-trim.today/2013/10/chickpea-cauliflower-tacos-with-lentil.html%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I’m so excited to try this but I don’t have this type of lentil…what others could I substitute with?
i have not tried any other lentils in this. you can order then online or pick up a small pack form an indian store. they will be much cheaper in the indian store.
Thanks – but I only eat organic and I’ve never seen organic beans in the store. I don’t live in the city so was hoping green or red lentils would do …oh well at least I asked 🙂
there are organic beans too. the indian stores here have 2 brands that offer organic beans and spices.
Richa, this looks really good! I wonder if it can be made sweet. So it would be like pound cake? Thank you, Liza
You can make it sweet. add only 1/8 tsp salt and omit the cumin seeds. stevia probably would be a better than sugar as sugar will take up too much volume and most likely affect the baking time and texture of the bread.
would the bread still work if I boil the lentils and, after they cool, use baking powder as the raising agent. I have made your bread with red lentils, which turned out to be quite solid but tasty. I’m cooking with urad dal as I write this. I took a peek in the oven and it looks wonderful. I find it hard to blend with a hand blender and just thought I could soften the lentils a little before processing them.
What do you think?
Hi Roma, once you boil the lentils they cannot ferment. The bread works because the urad dal lentils ferment and create air pockets. thats why other lentils don’t work as they don’t ferment. Other lentils need support from leavening (lot more baking powder) and some rice flour and will work if baked in muffin tin to make dinner rolls or savory muffins.
For blending the urad dal, let the dal soak overnight. that will soften up the lentils. Scrap the blender often and add splashes of water. Once the lentils start moving well in the blender, do not add any more water. hope this helps.
Of i just noticed its a hand blender, i think overnight soak should help blend the lentils a bit more easily, though a regular blender would be better than hand blender.
I should have read this reply first because I didn’t understand that the lentils had to ferment first! Oh my!
I put baking powder before baking before i notice your comment
Will it will be acidic and will not ferment
As i guess baking powder alkaline and fermentation happens in acidic medium
Shall i throw it ?
Can i keep in the fridge ..guesd nooooo
Thanks
it should ferment just fine. Theres just a bit of baking powder. if it doesnt ferment, you can make this dosa or adai with the mixture.
Yes the batter can be refrigerated for upto 2 days
Do u need 3 cups of lentils in total? 1.5 cups urad dal split and also 1.5 cups skinned black gram Urad Dal Matpe?
They are the same thing. I’ll add brackets around it. so 1.5 cups total dal.
Great thanks! Going to buy the lentils today. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Richa what about other sweeteners like honey or maple syrup?
Also you mentioned we can ferment the daal longer instead of using baking soda – what exactly does that do? Thanks!
those will add a lot more liquid to the batter.
the fermentation is basically wild yeast fermentation. so it will add lots of air to the batter like yeast sandwich breads. So you wouldnt need baking powder or soda leavening.