Homemade Lentil Bread (Inspired by Ezekiel Bread)

Freshly sliced homemade lentil bread — soft, hearty, and perfect for soup night.

Why I Started Making My Own Bread

This recipe was inspired by Ezekiel 4:9 bread. Desmond found it at the grocery store and was so excited to see a bread with ingredients that actually fit into the Mediterranean diet. I was excited too… until I saw the price tag. Almost eight dollars per loaf. I still cannot believe how expensive clean ingredient foods can be.

So I made it my mission to recreate something similar — same nutrient-dense idea, but homemade, affordable, and made with ingredients I could easily grab at a normal grocery store.

One Year, Lots of Flops, and Finally a Win

Naturally, I turned to my sous chef (ChatGPT) to help me sketch out a starting point. I don’t even remember the original recipe it gave me anymore, but I definitely remember the trial and error.

It took me over a year to perfect this bread. I wanted something nutritious, fluffy, not dry, and that actually looked like a loaf of bread — not a weird, crumbly mound. And believe me, there were many nights where we ended up with scraps instead of slices. I don’t want to talk about it haha.

Bread is one of those things that, even if you follow someone’s recipe perfectly, it still takes a few tries to really figure out the technique for yourself. But the excitement I felt the first time I knew I nailed it? Worth every single failed attempt.

The dough after its first rise — soft, airy, and ready to be shaped into loaves.

Why This Bread Fits Our Mediterranean Style

One thing I love about this bread is how naturally it fits into the Mediterranean Diet without feeling like a “health swap.” It’s packed with whole grains, flax, oats, and lentils — all things we try to include regularly anyway. The lentils add protein and fiber, the whole wheat flour gives it that hearty texture, and the olive oil keeps it soft without needing butter or anything heavy. It’s the kind of everyday, real-food bread that actually keeps us full and gives us something nourishing to dip into our soup nights.

A New Family Staple

Now I make this bread at least once a week, and we always pair it with a soup dinner. Honestly, we don’t eat soup without it anymore.

The girls and I usually spread a little butter on our slices, while Desmond sticks with a drizzle of olive oil. One night Callie asked if we could make it “garlic bread,” so we added a sprinkle of garlic powder — and now we all do it. The girls love this bread, especially Piper. She gets into her little bread zone, and it’s one of the only foods she signs “more” for as soon as she finishes her first slice.

I’m almost ready to start experimenting with a second type of bread, but for now, I’m still basking in the glory of finally mastering this one before starting from square one again.

Two warm loaves fresh out of the oven — golden, soft, and ready to cool.

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Homemade Lentil Bread

Yield: 2 loaves

Author: Siena Haskell

Prep time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Nutritious, affordable, and surprisingly simple — this homemade lentil bread is our weekly staple and perfect for soup nights.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups white flour (all-purpose or bread flour)
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup cooked lentils, lightly blended in a food processor
• 2 cups warm water
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons instant yeast (or 2 packets active dry yeast)

Instructions

1. Mix the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, white flour, flaxseed, oats, and salt. In another bowl (I use a glass measuring cup), mix the warm water, honey, and yeast. Let it rest 10–15 minutes or until it is very foamy. In the glass measuring cup I wait until the foam is rounded over the top.
2. Combine Wet + Dry: Add the yeast mixture and olive oil to the dry ingredients. Let it sit for 20-30 seconds before stirring slowly until a sticky dough forms and the liquid is absorbed. Fold in the blended lentils until evenly mixed.
3. Knead the Dough: Turn onto a floured surface and knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. (If too sticky, add 1–2 tbsp flour.)
4. First Rise: Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise 1-2 hours or until doubled.
5. Shape the Loaves: Punch down the dough, divide in half, knead/shape into two loaves, and place in greased 9×5" pans.
6. Second Rise: Cover pans and let rise 30–45 minutes, until dough reaches just above the pan rims.
7. Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 35–40 minutes, until tops are golden and bottoms sound hollow when tapped.

Mediterranean Tips

• Swap honey for maple syrup for a vegan loaf.
• Add sesame or sunflower seeds on top for extra crunch.
• Serve with olive oil and herbs instead of butter.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1857

Fat

54 g

Sat. Fat

7 g

Carbs

303 g

Fiber

48 g

Net carbs

254 g

Sugar

37 g

Protein

62 g

Sodium

2372 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg

Nutrition facts are approximate and may vary.