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| Oat & Whole Wheat Soda Bread |
Before ever trying to make soda bread, I had only ever heard negative comments on it. That it was very dry, or too heavy, or flat, or any number of other unfavorable comments. With that as its recommendation, why would anyone choose to make it?
And then, I got interested. I am ever curious about how things originated. What was the reasoning for making this kind of bread? Some years back, I decided to make soda bread, so I went online to search for information. In most places one sees soda bread recipes, either on TV or online, it is made with pure white, all-purpose flour, has eggs, sugar, butter, raisins and who knows how many other things in it. And I wondered . . . Because Ireland had been a poor country, and sometimes subject to famine, why would this enriched type of "soda bread" be touted as their bread? I went searching online again, delving further, and was enlightened in oh, so many ways! Rather than go into all this again, and spend time up on my soapbox again, please refer to my first soda bread recipe, here, where I went into more detail on the whys behind the bread.
But in the meantime, over the past many years, I have been more and more interested in whole grains, nuts and seeds, and using them in breads of all description. I have always preferred whole, heavier and denser breads, though some of my tries and experiments nearly exceeded my own tolerances. There has been a learning curve in both making and eating. Also, I have learned that in many countries, where ovens were not at all common, barring a communal oven sometimes only fired up once a month, a yeasted bread was only made at that one time and had to last. Meaning, of course, that the bread dried out completely, and a saw was needed to cut off chunks, which were used as a thickening for soups and stews, as there was no way to have it safely eaten, hard as a rock as it was. With that knowledge, I wondered if something similar was done in Ireland? I got no real answer to that. But I did learn a lot more about soda bread.
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| Oat & Whole Wheat Soda Bread |
Since that foray into all things to do with Irish Brown Bread, I have altered the recipe myriad times and in myriad ways. I have used freshly ground whole grain wheat, oats (whether old fashioned oats, minute oats or steel cut oats), whole grain barley flour, sprouted grain flour, rye flour and possibly others. Through all these recipes and experiments I have kept one constant: I use some all-purpose flour and some cake flour. Why, you might ask?
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| Oat & Whole Wheat Soda Bread |
The reason the Irish went to a soda bread rather than a yeast-risen bread is that their flour was too "soft." Meaning their whole grain flour did not have sufficient gluten in the grains to allow the yeast to work. In this sense, cake flour is perhaps one of the "softest" of flours. Making bread with cake flour would likely be a catastrophe, though I have not tried it. My reasoning was that these flours would make the resultant mixture less suitable for yeast rising; conversely, more apt to work well with baking soda. I have no scientific basis for these statements, only my own experiences.
To date, my only concession to using eggs or butter in a supposed "soda bread," was when I tried to approximate the bread we ate at an Irish restaurant in Las Vegas, which was exceptionally good. I am happy to say I did make that one a few times, it is that good. I called it Whole Wheat Oatmeal Soda Bread. It is also the only soda bread I have made in a loaf pan, rather than as a freestanding loaf. Otherwise, any upstanding Irish person would likely have said, why waste butter IN the bread, when it was going to be used to put ON the bread when they ate it. Ever frugal, and the notion of wasting eggs in the bread or, horror or horrors, making the bread with beer, when it could have been used to drink, was unthinkable!
In an attempt to increase the use of oats, being one of my favorite of grains, I tried out another new recipe yesterday and it was delicious as well. And without any further ado, this is that recipe:
Oat & Wheat Soda Bread
Makes one loaf
Grind the steel cut oats (regular, long cooking variety) lightly in a blender or food processor.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 7 dry ingredients and whisk briefly to distribute the ingredients. Pour in most of the buttermilk and the molasses and stir, until it is no longer possible. Turn the mass out onto a greased surface and lightly "knead" (flatten, fold, turn, flatten, fold) two or three times to bring the mixture together. If the dough needs more liquid, add in the remaining buttermilk. If it is too wet, add in up to ¼-cup more of flour to firm up. Form the dough into a tight, high-domed ball and set onto the prepared parchment lined baking sheet. With a very sharp knife, cut an "X" across the top, at least 1-inch deep. This will flatten the loaf considerably from the little ball shape. Place in the oven and time for 50 to 55 minutes. Internal temperature should be at least 200 degrees. Allow to cool completely before cutting.
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.