Raisin soda bread December 14 2012

After a full day of heavy meals, I just felt like having a simple, wholesome bread. Raisin soa bread is one of the simple breads I like to eat on a cold night. Maybe even drizzle it with some honey and have it with a cup of hot tea.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of steel cut oat grinded (keep it a bit coarse for texture)
1 2/3 cup of white spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk
a pinch of celtic sea salt
a pinch of coarse cane sugar
1/2 cup of raisins

Total bake time 45-50 min.

Preheat oven at 350F. Lay some grinded steel cut oat on a cast iron skilet or a cast iron crepe pan then set aside.

Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl then slowly pour buttermilk in and gently stir to mix. The dough should look a bit lumpy and moist, but it won't stick to the mixing bowl. If dough looks a bit dry, add a little more buttermilk to mix.

Remove dough from mixing bowl and place on the counter to knead a few times. Do not over knead it. Gently shape the dough into a round shape by patting around it. Sprinkle some flour all around the dough ball and place it on pan. Score a "+ "sign on the dough and place in oven to bake. Once dough is in oven, increase temperature to 400F for 5-7 mins then increase temperature again to 450F. After 10 mins drop temperature to 350F and bake for another 30-35 mins. When crust turns a light golden brown the bread is ready!

Take bread out of oven and set it on a rack to cool for at least 20 mins. Enjoy your light, simple bread with thin, crunchy crust. :)