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
or from an Indian store (much cheaper). This bread also obviously has the strong taste of the dal. If you have tried South Indian food, then you might know and its taste.
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
Recipe Card
Lentil Bread - Gluten-free Vegan Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups (300 g) 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 (0.25 tsp) cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 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
Michelle Connor
This is a wonderful gluten-free dairy free bread. I had to cook mine about 15 minutes longer but it still came out very very good. I sliced a piece and topped it with fresh avocado and tomatoes. I use chickpea flour instead of the rice flour. I will definitely make this again.
Vegan Richa Support
sounds great! thanks for the info
Melody Elizabeth Laker
Can I make using urad flour (matpe flour)?
Vegan Richa Support
Yes, you should be fine.
Heather Seachrist
And I could use split red lentils instead of the lentils you used??
Richa
they dont ferment as much, you can use them and make small muffins
Paula
Hi! Do you think this recipe work with yellow mung dal instead? Itching to make this bread but only have this dal at home:)
Richa
it wont give you the same result. If you can rice, use half moong dal and half white rice, soak and use similarly
Nichole
Thanks for posting this!
You wrote about natural fermentation and that, especially for lentils, seems to be a long lived and active research topic for improving bioavailabilty of its nutrients.
The reasearch suggests that natural fermentation of lentils by themselves uses the lactic acid cycle (LAB bacteria) dominated by lactobacillus in the first 24 hours.
The dosa batter has other elements that bring yeast maybe (and the ethanol alcohol cycle).
I made a version of your recipe with sprouted pinto beans I already had, replaced all the other dry ingredients with flaxseed meal and 75 g of sourdough starter (made from rye) and any water needed was the aquafaba from boiling the beans. Fermented for a couple of hours at 95F, then baked in a thin layer 9×9 casserole dish as a dutch oven, similar to your baking directions of covered and uncovered (which are so helpful! Best bean bread I’ve ever had…).
The bread did rise and cook really well and is thin enough to be thick sandwich bread, but an 11×11 casserole dish would have been even better for more sandwich-like widths.
Thanks for the delicious helpful recipe,
Nichole
Nichole
Forgot to add that I once fermented beans using mesenteroides to speed up the pH drop to the safe levels that their natural fermentation already does as it creates LAB bacteria.
That’s from a vegetable fermentation kit (often used on cabbage in making sauerkraft and kimchi, etc).
The only recipes I could find on using the results were for Chinese bean pastes sometimes called stinky beans I think. Those looked interesting but had so much salt so I didn’t make them yet.
(Fermenting in anaerobic conditions and with mesenteroides as a fast starter, and don’t need the salt to draw out the water, so not sure why so many vegetable fermentation recipes use as much salt as they do…).
Those bean pastes are very popular though. Do you recommend any for fermented beans? Indian bean pastes?
🙂
Zainab
I’m making his just now. Can I add oats flour instead of rice flour? Thank u
Richa
yes
Archana
Hi Richa,
, This sounds wonderful .. was just wondering… What can i substitute for the corn meal ? As don’t get it here in India .
Richa
cornstarch is called corn flour in india
Katie
I tried making this twice now and neither time turned out. I really cannot figure out what went wrong as I followed the recipe exactly as it was written. The first loaf I soaked the lentils for about 9 hours and the second almost a full 24 hours. Neither batch seemed to aerate (though I don’t think I overworked it) so the texture is very dense, and the loaf ends up being about an inch and a half high. I was so excited to find this recipe, and it seemed so simple and straightforward, but I just don’t know why it isn’t working for me.
Richa
It might be the size of the pan (I use 8.5 by 4.5inches), or the dal(lentils), they may be old, or not the right lentils and hence they are not fermenting and aerating. Try a smaller amount, let it sit to ferment after blending for an hour, add in more baking powder, gently mixing it so the air doesnt escape. add to a muffin pan for a few muffins and then bake.
Kale Assassin
Oh my goodness this bread is amazing! I have made 3 loafs I’ve 2 days and my family is devouring them. We made grilled vegan cheese sandwiches and they were delicious. I can’t get my kids to stop eating it just plain either. I did use about 8 tbs of water and I didn’t have psyllium husk so I used xantham gum. I also brushed mine with garlic coconut oil on top and they turned out perfectly. Thanks so much for sharing all your wonderful recipes 😁
Richa
Awesome! yes anything garlic and buttery on top would be very helpful for the crust! so glad everyone loved it!
judee
This recipe looks easy and amazing! How do you think this would work with Toor dal ( I just happen to have a 7 pound bag of Toor dal but no urad dal.) just wondering
Richa
it wont work well with toor dal as it doesnt ferment easily. :). You can use a mix of toor dal and white rice, soak, blend and then bake into small muffins. a loaf would be hard as the weight of that much volume would need the fermentation to add air during baking and without the fermentation the loaf will be flat.
Pierrette
I cannot seem to find urad dal that is Guten Free. the ones that I find on Amazon either do not mention GF or say that they are processed in a facility that also processes other things such as wheat. Can you guide me? I live in Canada but I am willing to order from US if the shipping is not too outrageous.
Richa
hmm. I am not sure. there might be some orgnanic brands. Or you could wash the dal 2-3 times and drain well before using if that works. Maybe theres a local farm growing some and you can get the fresh beans and try those.
Susan Rosenthal
Would this recipe work if I process the Urad dal into flour before making the batter?
Richa
no that damages the bean and its ability to ferment
Ramona
This looks so good –love my vadas so I am excited to try this — I do have a question can I use Urid dhal flour instead –I use a mill often and mill my own grains etc
Richa
The flour doesnt ferment well as the dal bean gets damaged in milling. It might work. Try a small portion
Rosie
Hi ! First of all, I love your blog. Regarding this recipe, I followed everything exactly and my bread did not rise enough to use as sandwich bread. Is there any tweaking you would recommend like more baking powder or something? It turned out great other than did not rise enough.
Richa
The batter makes a small bread. You can possibly use a smaller loaf pan for a taller loaf and also a bit more baking powder
Maggie Momeyer
You lost rice flour or that it can be omitted. I am allergic to wheat and rice, what could I use in place of rice flour? Or what changes if I just omit it?
Richa
you can omit it. Soak more the lentils as a sub
Kate
Hi Richa,
I made this amazing bread about 10 days ago and I am so surprised about how long it lasts!
I just finished the loaf, toasted with homemade goats cheese and homemade spicy mango sauce.
An absolute taste sensation!
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Richa
thats awesome!
Sarah Beirne
Can you use arrowroot instead of corn starch? Thanks!
Richa
yes
Sonali
Thank you Richa, great recipe! I have made this bread several times now, love it.
Rebecca Hugo-Saraceno
I tried making this lentil bread twice and both times it came out disastrous 🙁
The batter was like wall paper paste – so sticky and it didn’t have the bubbles. Very sad as I was so excited to try lentil bread. The second time I added more baking powder in case that was the problem but same result.
Richa
hmm. did you use the urad lentils?
Michelle
I had the same reaction, the smell of the lentils before cooking and after is awful. Is it supposed to have this pungent scent?
Richa
it depends. the lentils have a peculiar smell. if you havent smelt it ever before, you might find it pungent.
The other reason could be if the lentils were really old or were whole lentils. Those sometimes will ferment too quickly and add the sour or moldy smell.
If its generally too smelly and unpalatable, i think its probably old lentils.
People have made this bread with other lentils such as red or yellow lentils as well andthose are not smelly. It doesnt rise as well as with urad lentils but works
lyne m friendly
I know little on the science fo baking. this sounds great. Just a few questions.
Can I add yeast to this bread? Does this bread get hard? Will yeast change the consistency?
Richa
yes you can add yeast to the bread. Just add some instant yeast to the batter. Yeast might add just a bit more airyness to the rbead consistencyc. Hoewever if you leave the batter too long before baking, the batter will get sour.
gina
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. 🙂
Richa
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!
Prema
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.
Richa
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
Prashanthi
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!!!!!!
Vegan Richa Support
excellent
Sharon K
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.
Sharon K
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.
Chessie
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.
Richa
Maybe the loaf size pan. You can double up on the batter. You can also slice it horizontally if you want slices.
Chessie
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.
Richa
thats awesome!
Janine
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 🙂
Christina
What is the nutrition for a single serving? What is a serving?
Richa
The calculation was for the whole loaf. I changed it to 6 servings, 2 slices each, as you would get 12 to 14 slices.
Renae
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 🙂
Richa
not this bread. You can try my oat flour based bread with a bit of lentil flour and rice flour. https://www.veganricha.com/category/gluten-free-bread
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
renae
Thank you Richa!
Corinna
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!
Richa
Awesome! yes you can make the batter into a focaccia
Marlena G.
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?
Richa
you can sprout the mung beans and add them to salads or lightly spice them up and fill up sandwihes or wraps
Christine McMahan
This sounds great. I’m anxious to try it but I have black Urad and I’m not sure what to use it for. I don’t imagine it will work for this because it’s whole.
Richa
It will work, but the color will be off and the smell of the lentils will be stronger. Try it with urad dal one before so you get the flavor and texture right.
Sindhu
This is awesome! I never knew you could make a bread with urad dal! One question – my FP is not working currently. Do you think I can use an Indian stone grinder to grind it (like the south indian vada) ? Using a blender won’t work without water/liquid. I currently grind idli/dosa batters using my stone grinder. Thanks so much.
Richa
yes you can follow same method as vada. Let the mixture ferment by sitting for a bit. The lighter the batter, the higher the bread will rise.
J'Marinde
How come every new email I get from you has this attached to it?
“This message may not have been sent by: richahingle@gmail.com Learn more Report phishing”
BTW- I LOVE your site.
Richa
hmm maybe some rules changed with feedburner or gmail? I checked the feed email mail on my yahoo account and i dint see it.
Kate
Hi Richard
Love your blog and have your fab book.
Could I double this recipe to make a bigger loaf of would all those lentils be too heavy? Have just made this bread and am waiting for it to come out of the oven. Can’t wait…
Richa
Hi Kate – I do not think doubling would work. It will make it too heavy to rise.
Claudette Fubler
Thank you very much for your quick response. I am anxious to try this recipe! 🙂
Claudette Fubler
Hi, can I make this bread without the rice flour ? I’m trying to exclude all grains from my diet . Thanks .
Richa
Yes, use more of the lentils.
J Waterloo
Hi, Do you have calorie count for the bread? Thank you
Richa
I dont unfortunately. if you do calculate it, do leave it in the comments.
Richa
oh wait, someone posted above -” Based on the ingredients plugged into MyFitnessPal, a loaf will yield 1400 calories and 227 carbs. I’d want to get as many slices as possible out of it.”
Paulo
Hi Richa. I would like to give a tip for those having a hard time finding Urad Dal (Vigna mungo). It’s possible to replace it with Cowpeas (Black-eyed peas – Vigna unguiculata). Urad Dal and Black-eyed peas are from the same cultivated genus Vigna. Black-eyed pea batter aerates by itself just like Urad Dal batter does. Here in Brazil we can even buy split and skinned cowpeas which look a lot like split and skinned urad dal.
Richa
Thats interesting. I am going to try it with cowpeas and will update the post if it works!
Floortje
Thank you for many great recipes! I could not get it to buble ore to float..I used broken flax seeds maybe that’s the problem? The batre was very sticky.I put it in the oven anyway hope something will come out that is ok ????
Richa
Hope it turned out well.
Deborah
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe!! 2nd time making it. This time, i kept the salt in, fermented for 5 hours, 1 tsp baking powder and i add a tsp of Italian seasoning and waited until the next day to slice. Used my electric knife. I wish i could post a picture. One question. It doesn’t really rise. Is there way to get the loaf more sandwichy-higher like in your picture?
Richa
Great! Yes, it doesnt rise much because of the weight of the lentils, but it should get a bit aerated because of the fermentation. If you make it into muffins, the rise is more visible. I use a medium loaf pan 8.5 by 4.5, so the batter already fills up high in the pan and bakes to just a bit of rise.
Deb
I couldn’t wait to try this. Here is what I did, though. I don’t use salt so I substituted an organo spice seasoning and used applesauce instead of the oil. It fod not rise and i forgot to cover until 45 minutes. Then i sliced it too quickly and ate it. It was,still good but next time i will splurge with 1/2 tsp salt and let it ferment and try a smaller loaf pan and follow the directions better!
Jenny
Hi there 🙂 ,
Thankyou for sharing such a great sounding recipe . I am wondering if you think it is possible to use whole urid dal over the split urid dal ? I am hoping that this loaf with make anan awesome pull apart loaf for taking as a share plate to a wedding picnic for all the gluten free and vegan guest to enjoy … Jenjen
Richa
the whole urad dal will make an ashy grey loaf which might look unappetizing. Try a small batch first to see. Pull apart would be difficult with this as this is a dense bread.
Star
You are my savior!! May you be eternally blessed! I have been a bit depressed lately as I have a variety of intolerance and every time I had a craving of something it was a continuous No, No, and the last one being beans and chickpeas which I used for pancakes, or flatbread, pizza etc. The only legume I can eat is lentils with which I made some kind of crackers but not too inspiring. But finally your recipe. I cannot find urad dal, even from amazon they would not deliver to Italy, so decided to try with normal lentils and it has worked, and for me is greater than great! I let the batter ferment 6 hours as you said, the batter floats in water and the bread looks like your picture but black, but the taste is great. I cannot put any of the ingredients like rice flour or cornstarch, just flaxseeds and so it is very dense of course, but it is so lovely to have something to enjoy in the morning, I put a fresh tomato puree with olive oil and salt (Andalusian Style), or melted dark chocolate or hummus. It has to go with some sauce otherwise on its on it is too dense, but for me for the moment until i can get the urad dal, I am super happy!! Thank you and thank you again!
jadm
This recipe worked for me. As one person already said, I will make it again and again. It’s great to have a bread that fulfills my diet’s bean requirement. And I think it’s delicious. I love spreading a thin layer of tahini on it as a treat with my tea. Thank you for this breakthrough!
Sara
I found urad dal labelled as gluten free from Cosmoveda, organic as well, and the bread is so incredibly delicious and light. It tastes like a “flour bread” meets sponge cake to me. There must be endless possibilities for this batter. I only fermented the batter and left out the baking powder, there was no need using it 🙂
This is now officially my breakfast sandwich (I had it with hummus) and lunch on the go. So good I wish I could give it six stars! Thank you!
Richa
Aww yeah! so glad it turns out so well! baking powder is a failsafe in case the fermentation isnt enough to leaven and hold the bread.
Amanda Theod
Can this bread be frozen, defrosted and used later? Just thinking of ways to not let the uneaten part of the loaf go to waste — after your recommended time frame to keep this fresh in the fridge. Thanks!
Richa
I haven’t tried it. You might want to freeze and slice and see.
Susan
I just pulled this out of the oven. It smells heavenly! How am I going to wait the hour for it to cool down?
Thanks so much for this recipe. I think it is going to become a go to at our house.
Richa
Awesome!
Tess
Hi Richa!
OMGoodness! I am loving your beautiful recipes and blog…am I allowed to pin your recipes?
Richa
Thanks. Yes, of course, pin away!
Mary Eckert
I am making this now. I soaked the lentils for about 18 hours. The blended up nicely in my blender with water. I used some honey for sweetness. I also used sunflower and pumpkin seeds because I didn’t have any flaxseed. It smells wonderful! It should be done in about 10 minutes. I don’t know if I will be able to keep from slicing it!
user
wha… why would you use honey?!
Anna
Oh my gosh, dosa bread! you’re a genius! I better show my mom this, she makes the fluffiest idlis I’ve ever had 😉