Oatmeal Soda Bread

Since I went gluten-free, I’ve been missing a good, hearty loaf of bread.

After a few failed gluten-free bread experiments, I was encouraged to discover that making Irish-style soda bread with oat flour (and a hint of maple) produces a very nice result!

Other flours I have tried include rice, buckwheat, cassava, almond, cornmeal, and gluten-free flour blends. None of them worked for me texture-wise.

Having grown up eating bread every day, this oatmeal soda bread is saving me!

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Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup plant-based milk (soy, almond, or your favorite milk)
• 1 Tbsp vinegar
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• 4 3/4 cups freshly ground gluten-free oat flour
• 1 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp cold vegan butter or margarine

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Directions

In a small bowl or large measuring cup, mix the plant milk and vinegar together. Let this sit for 5 minutes to curdle, then stir in the maple syrup.

Grind up the oats in a food processor until it’s fairly fine. Measure the oat flour and tapioca flour into a large bowl, then mix in the baking soda and salt.

Cut up the vegan butter or margarine and rub it into the flour mixture, mixing with your fingers until it’s well incorporated.

Add the curdled plant milk-maple mixture to the flour-butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a sticky dough with no pockets of flour. The dough will be quite wet at this stage.

Scrape the dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use wet fingers to mold the dough into a round, fairly flat shape, and score the dough by pressing a deep cross or x shape into it so that the middle will cook evenly.

Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the oats to soak up the liquid. After this, the dough will be firmer to the touch.

Bake the bread at 400F for 20 minutes, then cover it loosely with aluminum foil, then bake for 25 more minutes. It will be lovely, crunchy, and golden. Let it cool on a wire rack or dig into it hot from the oven. Leftovers freeze very well in an airtight container. ❤️

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Inspiration

Breathing in, breathing out

Breathing in, breathing out

I am blooming as a flower, I am fresh as the dew

I am solid as a mountain, I am firm as the earth

I am free

Breathing in, breathing out

Breathing in, breathing out

I am water reflecting what is real, what is true

And I feel there is space inside of me

I am free, I am free, I am free

– Thich Nhat Hanh