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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.
Is the starch for thickness or texture? And can I replace that with seamoss gel?
its for the texture as the lentils can get too dense.
Hi Richa!!
Thank you for the lovely recepie.
I tried to make the fermented version, but the bread came out really dense and didn’t rise at all.
Before baking the batter, I tried to aerate it by whiping it with spoon, as you wrote, but I don’t think it made any difference..
Do you have any advise for the next try?
Thanks Ahead
Inbar.
Hi Inbar,
Did the batter rise at all when you let it sit to ferment in a warm place for a few hours?
No 🙁
What did I do wrong?
how long did you let it sit? if it didn’t increase in size or get a bit bubbly, then it did’t ferment. I am assuming that you used urad dal. The dal might be old or needed more time to ferment. The bread should still taste good. You can slice and cube it and bake in the oven to make croutons. Or use it instead of tofu in dishes. Cube, toss in spice and crisp in a bit of oil and use.
Would organic black beluga lentils work? Thanks
no. As I mention in the post, the black gram lentils attract wild yeast and ferment easily. Other lentils do not ferment, so they would need leavening help from added yeast and baking powder and will most likely make a dense bread.
This is a great blog. I love eating and making bread myself. I have been looking for different bread recipes like this one. Thanks for sharing . I’m so excited to try this. Certainly it will be great. I love using my bread machine. After try this one , I will try your other bread recipes for my bread machine. I am looking forward to your other recipes:)
this bread was amazing, thank you for the recipe!!
Awesome!
Can I make this using canned garbanzo beans – – is that what Ural Dal is?
If so, how do I do so? Thank you!
Nope. Urad dal is a completely different bean. See the picture of how it looks. You can find it in Indian stores or on amazon. Amazon link is there in the recipe. Urad dal attracts wild yeast and ferments and that is what helps this bread be a bread. With chickpeas you would get a chickpea loaf.
Hi,
I am wondering if I can use brown rice flour instead of rice flour? I have that on hand, and typically it’s okay to use in GF recipes.
Yes, you can use brown rice flour. i use white rice flour or brown rice flour interchangeably in recipes where they are used in small quantities without issues. White rice flour is a much neutral flavor, hence it works better in this recipe.
I used brown rice flour and it came out just great too.
I am a nutritarian and I only eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, onions and mushrooms for at least 90% of my diet. This is by far the best “real” bread recipe I have tried so far. I am a huge fan of urad dal lentils for baking, so I knew this had a good shot, and it came out great. I leave out the cumin, since I am not a fan of that spice. I also leave out the oil. I plan to modify it as a sweet bread and expect equally amazing results. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Darci. Yes the bread should work as a sweet bread too. Happy baking!
What other baking have you done with urad dal?
despite the lack of rise, it’s delicious! I can’t wait to make it again and have it rise, thanks again Richa
Great! Yes, definitely try it again. The dal ferments quite well. So you can leave the blended batter on the counter for a few hours and then place it in a loaf and bake.
I have everything but the psyllium husks, it’s a long way back to the shops for me. Can I leave them out I want to make this tomorrow, looks so yummy!
do you have flax seed meal or chia seed meal? you can use those. Or you can skip it. Let me know how it turns out.
Thanks for replying so quickly Richa, I have chia seeds so will try that, I am so looking forward to this, thanks for the recipe 🙂
well I have made the dough but it wont float, I think I know the problem. I tried putting it through my blender but it just got stuck so I kept adding little bits of water. So I went to my shed and pulled out my samson juicer which I was going to sell, and it works beautifully to turn the dhal into a dough so next time I wont have to add any water. I’m not going to waste the batter so will bake it anyway and next time use my samson from the beginning. I will let you know how it turns out Richa but I expect it wont look anything like yours, maybe next time.
yes it might be the excess water. You can let the dough sit on the counter to ferment for an hour. Then instead of a loaf, make muffins or aebleskivers. dont throw it away. i would mix in rice flour and make savory crepes or pancakes to serve with curries. its totally edible and tasty stuff. :).