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| 'Really, really great bread.' 'I really like the tartness of the berries and the oatmeal is a selling point.' |
This gorgeous fruity Cranberry, Molasses, Oatmeal & Nut Loaf bread is the perfect companion to Irish Cheeses on St Patrick's Day...and is wonderful toasted the day after.
The bread, based on Irish soda breads, is yeast-free AND is ready for the oven in 10 minutes. It's so rich it doesn't need buttering (though many people can't resist). Weighty but not heavy, it's delicious with a myriad of complementary flavours.
It is healthy, too. The wholemeal content is high, making the crust gorgeously chewy but the interior soft and yielding. Nutrient rich molasses (low on the glycemic index) and cholesterol-battling oatmeal add sweet smokiness. Fresh cranberries give a pop of colour and delicious tartness. Heart-friendly nuts add crunch.
The bread keeps well in an air-tight tin for a couple of days - if it lasts that long. It freezes well.
Dried berries can replace fresh but blanch in boiling water, drain & dry before adding to the flour.
Cost: £4.00'ish (3/22)
Makes: one large loaf; recipe halves nicely
Ingred:
14oz/390 gm plain common wheat or spelt flour, 50-50 white + wholemeal (OR 9.5oz/275 gm white + and 4oz/115gm wholemeal)
3oz/90g oatmeal, blitzed in a blender till fine
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4oz/113gm cold butter, in small cubes
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, washed & drained OR dried berries reconstituted in boiling water 5 mins, rinsed & drained well
scant half cup coarsely chopped nuts
zest of an orange
340ml buttermilk* stirred
1/4 cup/60ml molasses
1 extra large egg or 2 small eggs, beaten
Equipment:
- 900gm/2 pound metal bread tin, OR 2 1 pound bread tins, lined with a strip of greaseproof paper down the bottom and extending above either side (makes it easier to get the bread out); grease sides of tin OR
- baking tray
Method:
