Colorful Chickpea California Rolls (Vegan, Oil-Free)

These Colorful Chickpea California Rolls make an easy, delicious, and nutritious dinner.  They are veggie-packed, tasty, and satisfying!  Just like my Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls, this recipe is wonderful for using up leftover veggies in your fridge!  Ingredients are limitless.  You can put in almost any variety of veggies or easily make these non-vegan (highly recommend cucumber, smoked salmon, and cream cheese). 

Ingredients:

For the rice:
1 cup sushi rice (Japanese short-grain rice)

1 and 1/4 cup water (you may need more)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Remaining Ingredients (Sub/Add as you please)
4-6 Nori Sheets (you can find these at your local Asian market)
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (your choice of color)
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup boiled or canned chickpeas
2 tablespoons sriracha
2 tablespoons mustard

For serving *optional*
Soy sauce
Pickled ginger
Pickled radish
Wasabi
Sesame Seeds

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Prepare the rice:  Start by rinsing and draining the rice three times.  Place the rice in a saucepan and add the water so that the water is about a 1/2 inch higher than the rice line.  Cook over medium heat until the rice is cooked and the water has evaporated.  Remove from heat.
2. While the rice is still warm, add in the rice vinegar and soy sauce.  Mix the rice with a fork until the rice is well mixed.  It should be sticky.  Set aside.
3.  Prepare the chickpea filling:  In a bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork.  Add in the sriracha and mustard and mix well.  Set aside.
4. To assemble California rolls, place a nori sheet on a dry surface or plate.  The rough side should be facing up and the smooth side should be facing down.
5.  With a spoon, gently spread the sushi rice over the nori, leaving 1 inch at the top of the nori bare.  Make sure the layer of sushi rice is thin.
6. In the bottom third of the nori closest to you, gently spread a tablespoon or two of the chickpea mixture in a straight line.  Then, lay a thin slice of bell pepper, carrot, cucumber, and green onion in a straight line over the chickpea mixture.
7.  With dry hands, begin rolling the nori and rice over the vegetables and chickpea mixture.  Before continuing rolling, make sure the veggies are compressed fairly tightly within the first roll.  Then, continue rolling upwards.  Place the final California roll seam-side down.  Repeat.
8. Once you are ready to serve, gently slice the California rolls into 1 inch pieces with a serrated knife (slow saw motions work best).
9.  Serve the California rolls with the optional soy sauce, pickled ginger, pickled radish, wasabi, and sesame seeds.
10.  Enjoy!  Although, these are best eaten fresh, you may store leftover California rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.

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Cheater Chocolate Mousse (Vegan)

Veganizing a tasty chocolate mousse is actually easier than you thought!  You'll need three ingredients, a blender, and refrigerator.  That's it.  Not only does this chocolate mousse taste delicious with fruits, toasted nuts, and toasted coconut, but it also can be used as a pie filling.  Ultimately though, this mousse is so easy to make that it feels like you are cheating on the real chocolate mousse!

Ingredients:

1 package silken tofu at room temperature 
Notes: --it MUST be silken
             --firm silken tofu gives you a thicker mousse
             -- soft silken tofu gives you a lighter mousse
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon agave syrup (or, sub maple syrup)
Nuts, Fruits, Coconut *optional*

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Drain the room temperature silken tofu and pat dry.
2. In a blender, blend the silken tofu, melted chocolate, and agave syrup until smooth.
3. Pour the mousse into your desired container(s) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Decorate the mousse with your favorite toppings like fruits, nuts, or coconut.
5. Enjoy!  If you have any leftovers, store in the fridge for up to a few days.

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Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls (Vegan)

Want a healthy and delicious appetizer for your meal tonight?   This recipe is incredibly easy to make and is extremely versatile (aka use up leftover veggies in your fridge!).  Make them non-vegan (highly recommend adding panko shrimp!).  Or, make them no oil friendly (by skipping the fried tofu step and simply adding thin strips of firm tofu instead.).

Ingredients:

10-12 rice wrappers

4 oz rice vermicelli (thin noodles)
1 pack extra firm tofu, drained and dried with a towel
3 tablespoons sesame oil (or, sub canola oil)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch mint, chopped
4-5 green onions, sliced into very thin strips
15-20 Thai basil leaves (look for this at your local Asian grocery store, or sub American basil)
15-20 spinach leaves (or, sub another leafy vegetable)
2-3 chopped Serrano peppers into fine pieces *optional*
1/2 cup other veggies, sliced into very thin strips (carrots, bell peppers, etc) *optional*

Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy (or, sub almond butter)
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3-5 tablespoons water (depending on how thick of a dipping sauce you would like)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Prepare the vermicelli rice noodles by boiling them for 3-5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  These should be al dente and not soggy.
2. Cut the tofu into thin and small rectangles, making sure to pat dry each strip.
3. In a fry pan, add sesame oil and warm over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry on all sides until golden brown.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Remove from fry pan and set aside.
4. To assemble spring rolls, add hot water to a skillet.  Keep the skillet on low heat until all spring rolls are assembled.
5. Prepare the first spring roll, by taking one rice wrapper and carefully soaking it in the hot water for about 5-7 seconds.
6. Transfer the soaked rice wrapper to a damp surface such as a cutting board or plate.  Make sure all edges are not folded over, and that you maintain the original circular shape.
7. In the bottom third of the wrapper, and a small handful of vermicelli noodles and layer the tofu, cilantro, mint, green onions, Thai basil, spinach, the optional serrano peppers, and the optional other vegetables.
8. Tuck in the left and right edges.  Then, from the bottom, gently roll all the fillings once over, making sure that the fillings stay together.  Finally, continue rolling to the end of the wrapper.  See this video if you need a visual!
9. Place the spring roll seam side down on a serving platter and cover with a damp paper towel.  Repeat steps 4-9, until all your fillings are used.
10.  Serve with the sauce, which is easily prepared by mixing the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and water together.  Alternatively, you can serve these with a sweet and sour sauce or a hot sauce of your choice.
11.  Enjoy!  If you have leftover spring rolls or will not be eating the rolls within the next couple of hours, individually wrap each spring roll in cellophane wrap and store in the fridge.

#halahbakes

Ghost Pepper Hummus (Vegan, No Oil)

Spicy? Heck yes! Delicious? Most definitely. Easy? Did you even have to ask?!

Best of all - you can leave out the ghost peppers or substitute a less spicy pepper and perfect this hummus for your spice tolerance level.

Ingredients:

3 cups boiled or canned chickpeas (I like boiled better!)
1/2 teaspoon citric acid (you could also sub 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
2 ghost peppers (or sub any other type of pepper based on your spice tolerance)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients (but, only 1/3 cup of water).
2. Process until the hummus is smooth in texture. If the hummus is not yet creamy in texture, add more water.
3. Adjust ingredients according to taste -although, most people love this without adjustments.
4. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

#halahbakes

Turmeric, Sesame, and Nigella Bread

Ah, how I love Indian (desi) flavors and spices. I created this bread to spice up my sandwich world. I also wanted to see how much turmeric I needed to make a beautiful (yet, still tasty) loaf! The answer: not much! Baker be warned: too much turmeric alters the flavor, so it is better to stick with less!

This recipe like many of my other bread recipes requires a cast iron pan (containing boiling water) to be used under the tray used for baking the bread. Following this technique is a good idea as you will get a soft and moist bread with a crunchy crust!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons yeast
1 and 1/2 cups water
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 to 2 tablespoons turmeric (depending on your desired color -any more will likely start to alter flavor)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup nigella seeds (these are also called kalonji)
Additional flour for dusting
4 cups of water for boiling (not to be used in bread)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Combine water (about 110 degrees - the temperature of bath water) with yeast and let set for 5 minutes to get foamy. If your yeast does not get foamy, this means your water was too hot and/or that your yeast is no longer active.
2. In a large bowl, combine the all purpose flour, salt, turmeric, sesame seeds, and nigella seeds. Mix the dry ingredients well.
3. Add in the foamy yeast water and knead the dough until thoroughly mixed. Knead for about five minutes.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
5. Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly sprinkle the dough with additional flour and transfer to a generously floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times and add flour or water as needed (such that the dough is slightly tacky, but I would not mess around with the proportions of the current recipe too much).
6. Roll your dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top to help keep the dough moist. Let the dough sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Preheat your oven to 450°F, fill a metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) with the 4 cups of water, and place on the lowest oven rack.
8. When the oven is ready, slash the bread 2 or 3 times with a knife or blade, making a cut about 1/2 inch deep. *If desired, sprinkle sesame / nigella seeds in the slashes for the "look" seen in the pictures.
9. Place the bread tray on the middle rack, above the rack with the pan now containing boiling water. Close the oven door quickly.
10. Bake the bread for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and crusty.
11. Remove the bread from the oven and cool. Enjoy! Once fully cooled, store leftovers in a plastic bag at room temperature.

#halahbakes

Savory Pear and Walnut Bread

I am in love! In love with what? The slightly sweet tang of pear and crunchiness of walnut that you taste when you take a bite out of this bread. Love. Love. Love. Try it out my friends. You won't regret it.

This recipe like many of my other bread recipes requires a cast iron pan (containing boiling water) to be used under the tray used for baking the bread. Following this technique is a good idea as you will get a soft and moist bread with a crunchy crust!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons yeast
1 and 1/2 cups water
3 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 peeled and diced pear
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Cinnamon for topping
Additional flour for dusting
4 cups of water for boiling (not to be used in bread)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Combine water (about 110 degrees - the temperature of bath water) with yeast and let set for 5 minutes to get foamy. If your yeast does not get foamy, this means your water was too hot and/or that your yeast is no longer active.
2. In a large bowl, combine the all purpose flour, salt, and cinnamon. Mix the dry ingredients well.
3. Add in the foamy yeast water and knead the dough until thoroughly mixed.
4. Add in the diced pear and walnuts. Knead for another five minutes until thoroughly mixed. 
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
6. Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly sprinkle the dough with additional flour and transfer to a generously floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times and add flour or water as needed (such that the dough is slightly tacky, but I would not mess around with the proportions of the current recipe too much).
7. Roll your dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top to help keep the dough moist. Let the dough sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Preheat your oven to 450°F, fill a metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) with the 4 cups of water, and place on the lowest oven rack.
9. When the oven is ready, slash the bread 2 or 3 times with a knife or blade, making a cut about 1/2 inch deep. *If desired, sprinkle cinnamon in the slashes for the "look" seen in the pictures.
10. Place the bread tray on the middle rack, above the rack with the pan now containing boiling water. Close the oven door quickly.
11. Bake the bread for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and crusty.
12. Remove the bread from the oven and cool. Enjoy! Once fully cooled, store leftovers in a plastic bag at room temperature.

#halahbakes

Onion and Pepper Bread (Vegan)

Of all the breads to bake, this is the one! This savory and crunchy crusted bread has the perfect texture and levels of moisture. It is hard to go wrong (in fact, I have successfully pulled off the same great taste when I accidentally baked the bread 1o minutes longer than I had planned!).

This recipe does require an extra deep dish pan to boil water. This  pan will go below the baking tray to create steam. Thus, you get the amazing crispy crust on your bread, but a totally soft inside! After this, you can call yourself an artisan bread baker! ;)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons yeast
1 and 1/2 cups warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 and 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 bell pepper diced into small pieces (any color)
1/2 onion diced into small pieces
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)
1 chopped chili pepper or ghost pepper (if desired)
1 tablespoon flax seed powder (if desired)
Additional flour for dusting
4 cups of water for boiling (not to be used in bread)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Combine warm water (about 110 degrees) with yeast in a large mixing bowl and let set for 5 minutes to get foamy. If your yeast does not get foamy, this means your water was too hot and/or that your yeast is no longer active.
2. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, old fashioned oats,  black pepper, cayenne pepper (if desired), and flax seed powder (if desired). Mix the dry ingredients well.
3. Add in the foamy yeast water and knead the dough until thoroughly mixed.
4. Add in the diced bell pepper, onions, and chili peppers (if desired). Knead the dough for another five minutes.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
6. Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly sprinkle the dough with additional flour and transfer to a generously floured work surface. Knead the dough a few times and add flour as needed (such that the dough no longer sticks to your fingers, but not too much as this can dry out your bread).
7. Roll your dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top to help keep the dough moist. Let the dough sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
8. Preheat your oven to 450°F, fill a metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) with the 4 cups of water, and place on the lowest oven rack.
9. When the oven is ready, slash the bread 2 or 3 times with a knife or blade, making a cut about 1/2 inch deep.
10. Place the bread tray on the middle rack, above the rack with the pan now containing boiling water. Close the oven door quickly.
11. Bake the bread for 35 minutes or until golden brown and crusty.
12. Remove the bread from the oven and cool. Enjoy! Once fully cooled, store leftovers in a plastic bag at room temperature.


#halahbakes

Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Cookies (Vegan, Gluten Free, Diabetic Friendly)

Thanks again to Feasting on Fruit for your incredible creativity. These cookies are sweet, soft, and date-I-say-it . . . "healthy." [You see what I did there?] The cookie base is sweetened with medjool dates. I played around with the recipe too and discovered that you don't even need chocolate chips. You can leave them out completely or substitute raisins.

P.S. I also tried making these without baking soda -- the recipe still works, but the cookies end up looking more like meat patties than cookies. Stick to using the baking soda!

Give these a try and let me know how you like them!

Ingredients:

12 pitted medjool dates
2/3 cup water
3 cups almond flour
1/2 cup peanut butter (you can find numerous brands without sugar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (or sub raisins)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a blender, blend the medjool dates with the water until you have a smooth date paste.
2. In a separate bowl, stir the date paste, almond flour, peanut butter, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt until well mixed.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon worth of dough and roll into a ball. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down to flatten.
5. Repeat with the remaining dough. Leave about 1/2 inch to 1 inch between the cookies.
6. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. The cookies will just start to turn golden brown.
7. Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes before eating!
8. Enjoy!

#halahbakes

Epic Pecan Pie Bars (Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo, No Sugar Added)

I have always been inspired by bakers who can make delicious desserts without adding sugar. Making it vegan and only sweetening with fruit? Immensely creative. Making them gluten free/paleo as well? Nearly impossible. That is why I absolutely love Feasting on Fruit's Pecan Pie Bars. With the below modifications, I can comfortably say that this recipe is EPIC! Seriously. These bars are absolutely delicious, extremely easy to make, and you will trick all your family and friends into eating something healthy for dessert. Ladies and gents, get your blender out and turn on your oven! You won't regret it.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
12 pitted Deglet Noor dates (optional: substitute 10 pitted Medjool dates)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 and 1/2 cups pecans

For the filling:
14 pitted Deglet Noor dates  (optional: substitute 12 pitted Medjool dates)
1 and 1/2 cups pecans
1 and 1/2 cups almond milk
3 tablespoons arrowroot starch (optional: substitute corn starch)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the topping:
More pecan halves (as much as desired)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. With a blender, combine the coconut, pecans, and dates until the crust "dough" becomes clumpy and slightly sticky.
2. In an 8x8 glass pan (or a metal pan with parchment paper), press the crust down firmly and uniformly into the pan. Set aside.
3. Next, make the filling by blending the dates, pecans, almond milk, starch, vanilla extract, and sea salt in the blender until smooth.
4. Spread the filling over the crust.
5. Decorate the top of the filling with as many pecan halves as you desire.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
7. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool to room temperature.
8. Refrigerate for 4 hours minimum, but the longer the better.
9. Slice into squares. Remove the bars gently with a fork and enjoy! Store any extras in an air tight container in a refrigerator, but I doubt you will have many left.

#halahbakes

Baked Namkeen Cumin and Sesame Seed Crackers (Vegan and Gluten Free)

This recipe makes a healthy, baked, vegan, and gluten free cracker with Indian spices! For those familiar with Indian snacks, most are deep-fried. This recipe serves as a healthier option of the typical cumin, red pepper, and sesame seed goodness. Best part: these are so easy to make!

Ingredients:

3 cups rice flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons roasted cumin powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 teaspoons sesame seeds
4 tablespoons oil
1 cup water

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. In a food processor, combine the rice flour, salt, cumin powder, red pepper, and sesame seeds by pulsing the dry ingredients together for about 1 minute.
2. Add in the oil and process for 1 minute at medium speed.
3. Add in the water and process until a loose crumbly dough is formed. Do not add any more water. 
4. Using your hands, form a ball out of the dough. Then, form the dough into 3 discs.
5. Lay 1 of the discs on a floured surface. Flour a rolling pin. Roll the dough out so that the dough is about 1/8 inch in thickness.
6. With a knife, cut 1 to 2 inch squares. Re-roll any leftover dough so you can make more crackers. Repeat until you use all three discs.
7. Using a fork, poke holes into the middle of each cracker.
8. Gently move the squares onto an ungreased baking sheet (I suggest using a fork or thin knife), making sure the crackers do not touch. 
9. Bake at 325 degrees for 16 to 20 minutes. Note: Bake the crackers less for softer crackers and bake the crackers longer for crispier crackers!
10. Let the crackers cool completely before enjoying! I recommend waiting at least one hour so the flavors can really set in to the crackers.

#halahbakes

Spicy Cheesy Biscuits (Vegan)

These are the cheesiest tasting vegan biscuits I have ever tasted. The magic ingredient? Nutritional yeast. With some extra spice added (I used ghost pepper, but this recipe uses more mild chili peppers), these biscuits transform into flavor filled gems. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons coconut oil (solid)
1-2 chili peppers diced into very small pieces (sub any other type of spicy pepper)
1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into the almond milk and set aside. This is how we make vegan "buttermilk."
2. Mix the flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chili peppers together.
3. Add the coconut oil into the flour mixture. The coconut oil should be in solid form (if your coconut oil has melted due to heat, place the oil into the fridge so that it can harden). Once the coconut oil has been mixed into the flour mixture, the flour will have a "crumbled" look.
4. Add in the almond milk/lemon juice mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until combined, but do not overmix. The dough will be very sticky.
5. Cut the dough with a knife or pastry cutter into eight pieces.
6. After flouring your hands, grab each piece and create a flattened disc shape. Place on a foiled baking sheet so that the biscuits touch. See photo:

7. After all biscuits are placed on the foiled baking sheet, use your thumb to create a divot thumbprint in the middle of each biscuit. This prevents the biscuits from becoming dome shaped in the oven. (Technique Credit: Minimalist Baker).
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees. The biscuits will be a golden brown color. 
9. Enjoy!

#halahbakes

Zucchini Fries

Want a healthy yet addictive appetizer or side to go with dinner? Zucchini is where it's at! These fries are crispy, tasty, and healthy. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

1 medium round zucchini, cut into thin strips (or 2 to 3 standard zucchinis)

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup almond milk

1 cup bread crumbs (I like Italian-style best)

Cayenne Pepper (optional, but recommended)

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1. Lightly grease a baking pan and set oven temperature to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and bread crumbs together.
3. Dip each zucchini strip into the almond milk and then into the crumb mixture. Place on baking pan.
4. Repeat until all zucchini strips have been coated.
5. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes based on your desired crispiness level. I like mine crispy so I usually bake mine longer!
#halahbakes

Spicy Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3 green chili peppers diced into small pieces

5 jalapeno peppers (pickled or raw) diced
2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon basil spice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon flax seed powder

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Gram flour ("besan" flour) for dusting
4 cups of water for boiling (not to be used in bread)

Variation Tips:

*The amount of green chili peppers and jalapeno peppers required is based on your desired amount of kick.

* Pickled jalapenos add a slightly stronger kick to the final product than using raw jalapenos.

Instructions:

Following these instructions exactly will provide the best results.

1.       Combine warm water (like bath water) with yeast in a large mixing bowl and let set for 5 minutes to get foamy. Then, add the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, old fashioned oats, chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, grated zucchini, basil, black pepper, flax seed powder, and chia seeds. Mix and knead dough until thoroughly mixed.

2.       Cover dough and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

3.       Once doubled in size, lightly sprinkle the dough with gram flour and transfer to a generously floured work surface. Knead a few times adding flour as needed.

4.       Place on a baking sheet (you may choose to lightly grease the pan). Sift a light coating of gram flour over the top to help keep the dough moist. Let dough sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

5.       Preheat oven to 450°F, fill a metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) with the 4 cups of water, and place on the lowest oven rack.

6.       When the oven is ready, slash the bread 2 or 3 times with a knife, making a cut about ½-inch deep.

7.       Place bread in oven on the middle rack, above the rack with the pan now containing boiling water. Close oven door quickly.

8.       Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and crusty.

9.       Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a rack. Once fully cooled, store leftovers in a plastic bag at room temperature.

#halahbakes