Ingredients
You need just three ingredients for the basic recipe:
- 1½ cups dry red lentils — The foundation of the bread. Red lentils soften easily during soaking and blend into a relatively smooth batter.
- 1 cup water — Fresh water helps transform the soaked lentils into the proper batter consistency. This is separate from the water used for soaking.
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder — Provides leavening and helps prevent the lentil loaf from becoming overly dense.
That’s it—no traditional flour, yeast, oil, or eggs are required for the basic recipe.
Instructions
Place 1½ cups dry red lentils in a large bowl.
Cover them generously with cool water, making sure there’s plenty of extra water because the lentils will absorb some as they hydrate.
Let the lentils soak for 4–6 hours, or preferably overnight.
Soaking softens the lentils so they can be blended into a smooth bread batter.
Pour the soaked lentils into a fine-mesh strainer.
Rinse thoroughly under cool running water and allow them to drain for several minutes.
Don’t rush this step. Excess soaking water can make the finished batter thinner than intended.
Transfer the drained lentils to a high-speed blender.
Add 1 cup fresh water.
Blend for approximately 1–2 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blender.
Continue until the mixture becomes very smooth and creamy with no obvious pieces of lentil remaining.
Add 1½ teaspoons baking powder to the blender.
Blend for another 10–15 seconds, just long enough to distribute the baking powder throughout the batter.
Avoid unnecessarily blending for a long time after adding the leavening.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Lightly grease an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan, then line it with parchment paper.
Leaving some parchment extending above the sides can make removing the baked loaf easier.
Pour the lentil batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Use a spatula to smooth the surface into an even layer.
If you’re adding seeds to the top, sprinkle them over the batter now.
Bake for approximately 35–45 minutes.
The finished loaf should be lightly golden on top and feel firm in the center.
Insert a toothpick into the middle. It should come out mostly clean without wet batter attached.
If the center still appears wet, continue baking and check again after a few minutes.
Remove the loaf from the oven and let it rest in the pan for approximately 10–15 minutes.
This allows the structure to begin setting before you remove it.
Carefully lift or turn the loaf out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack.
Allow it to cool completely before slicing.
This is especially important with flourless lentil bread because the interior continues to firm as it cools.
Once completely cool, slice the bread using a sharp serrated knife.
Enjoy it as-is or toast the slices until the exterior becomes lightly crisp and the center is warm.