Happy St. Paddy's Day! I was asked to make a healthy version of Irish Soda bread, but the task was not so easy. First came the question of tradition. Most Americans like a sweet bread, much different than what is typically eaten in Ireland ( I was told the more money the woman had, the sweeter the bread would be?..), so I chose a happy medium. This bread is slightly hearty, faintly sweet, and moist. When finished baking: 1.) toast the slice 2.) butter up with quality butter 3.) enjoy with coffee!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups self-rising flour (or all-purpose flour with 1 Tbsp baking powder and 1 ½ tsp salt)
- 2 cups white whole wheat bread
- 1 tp baking soda
- 1 cup raisins, plumped in hot water
- 1 cup applesauce
- 2 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350OF and grease a heavy, oven proof 10-12” skillet.
- Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a fork.
- Separately, whisk the applesauce, buttermilk, and egg until combined. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon just until incorporated.
- Dip a sharp knife in flour and cut an “X” in the top of the bread. Then bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until an inserted knife can be removed cleanly.
Enojy!
This is also a great bread you can make in place of scones or even a yeast bread for brunch. No knead & quick!
Marina Bedrossian is a Northport, NY dietitian nutritionist who helps people with holistic nutrition solutions and food sensitivities. Visit this page to schedule an appointment and don’t forget to join the private Facebook group “Ingredients For Healthy Families” more information here.