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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.
I made this with the exact same lentils I picked up from an Indian grocery in Jacksonville and was not able to get a fluffy enough / aerated enough batter (dough did not float) and even though the result looks nothing like your bread (mottled with lentil bits) it is one of my favorite “breads” ever. I have a huge love for dense, seedy, nutty Eastern European & Northern European breads and they are entirely too hard to find where I am (in Florida). This lentil loaf actually provides the look & texture of what I have wanted in a bread like I described. So even though it’s not sandwich-style bread, I’m pretty happy. Nay, ecstatic! Will be making it again just like I did the 1st time (adding spices, etc as I go). I consider it a happy accident. So far, I like a slice of it as my mid-morning snack at work spreading it w/ Earth Balance or spiced ghee from Trader Joe’s. Have tried sunflower seed butter too which is amazing. It satisfies me beautifully. Just thought I’d share. 🙂
hmm maybe use a blender to make a smooth batter. You an add in other seeds in the batter and bake for a seedy bread like you want. I am glad you loved it either way!
Hi Richa,
I just now made this urad dhal bread,tastes yum. I ground it in my stone grinder and I used the whole urad without skin,which is what I had. Only the rise wasn’t enough in the loaf. Can I make it omitting the rice flour? I am going to try and leave the dough to ferment before baking next time.
Thank you for the recipe.
you an double the batter for a taller loaf. Or us a smaller loaf pan. The batter an very heavy with larger pans and larger amounts. And yes do let it ferment for a bit. The extra aeration is always helpful in making lighter bread. Yes you can omit the rice flour
Hi Richa… thank you for amazing recipe. Wanted to try grain free version but opted for barnyard millet. Didn’t have starch so used soaked sabudana. Bread turned out yummy!!!!!!
excellent
oops. I found an earlier comment where you said the already ground flour will not work, so never mind.
i did not see that earlier comment. sorry.
Can one use already ground urad dal flour? I notice that amazon has a bag of the “deep” brand urad dal flour., and a handful of others. If so, how much ground flour does the amount of the split dal turn into?
Thank you.
I just made this and it’s cooling on the counter right now. I cut a tiny slice off the end to see how it came out, and the texture seems right and it tastes good. The only thing is … it’s about an inch tall! It doesn’t look at all like your photo. I let the urad dal soak for several hours longer than “overnight,” and the batter seemed bubbly, but it just didn’t rise. I used a normal-sized loaf pan, too. So it’s a good bread to have with soup and suchlike, but I couldn’t make a sandwich with it.
Any idea where I went wrong? It tastes good enough that I’ll try it again, but I was hoping for a sandwich bread. Thanks.
Maybe the loaf size pan. You can double up on the batter. You can also slice it horizontally if you want slices.
I made this again but used the batter to make a pizza. I omitted the cumin and used Italian spices instead, and it worked out very nicely. So I have a go-to recipe to make my own gluten-free pizza crust! Thank you.
thats awesome!
I just made this tonight! I took a little nibble off the side before the one hour cooling time was up-WOW sooo yummy!!! Thank-you so very much for this recipe 🙂
What is the nutrition for a single serving? What is a serving?
The calculation was for the whole loaf. I changed it to 6 servings, 2 slices each, as you would get 12 to 14 slices.
Hi Richa.I was wondering if this beautiful recipe would work with lentil flour or all rice flour instead of the urad dal? Also,I’m loving that you’re using psyllium more in your recipes,as being a gluten free vegan who can’t tolerate xanthan/guar gums can get very frustrating.Sorry,one more thing.In some of your other recipes that call for flax meal(such as the gf brownies) could i replace it with psyllium husk powder too? Thank You 🙂
not this bread. You can try my oat flour based bread with a bit of lentil flour and rice flour. https://fettabbau-trim.today/category/gluten-free-bread%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
it depends on the recipe, psyllium doesnt always make a good sub for flax. it an make it a bit gummy. Chia seeds would better. you can make a meal of chia seeds so they are not as prominent in the baked result
Thank you Richa!
Tried making this bread for the first time yesterday. I was worried that my loaf pan wasn’t large enough to hold all the batter, so I baked it in a 2-qt Pyrex baking/ casserole dish instead. Cut into small rectangles and ate with homemade chunky marinara sauce on top. So good. Thank you!
Awesome! yes you can make the batter into a focaccia
Hi Richa,
I’m so excited to have come across this recipe and can’t wait to try it! I have been learning a lot about mung beans and I’ve been dying to make a loaf of bread with them. Do you think it would make a good substitute for the Urad Dal? What would you suggest for such a recipe?
you can sprout the mung beans and add them to salads or lightly spice them up and fill up sandwihes or wraps