Chestnut Soda Bread
This soda bread really is a special treat, perfect for the festive season (when chestnuts are more readily available - and when weight gain is socially accepted). This bread is incredibly simple to make but brings so much joy. It makes a delicious breakfast or tea served with just butter. I enjoy this warm and topped with plant butter.
Ingredients
- 200 g Plain wholemeal flour
- 200 g Plain white flour
- 1 + 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 250 ml Unsweetened plant milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 30 g Vegan butter Chopped into small cubes
- 1 tbsp Maple syrup
- 100 g Cooked chestnuts, chopped Ready prepared chestnuts are just fine for this recipe. I used Merchant Gourmet.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C
- In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. When sifting you should find that the bran from the wholemeal flour remains in the sieve. Reserve 1tbsp of the bran and keep for later. Add the rest of the bran back into the mix.
- Stir the chopped chestnuts into the dry ingredients.
- Place all of the wet ingredients including the butter in a pan on the hob or in a heatproof jug in the microwave. Heat gently and stir until the butter has melted and the treacle and maple syrup have dissolved.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a soft sticky dough. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and shape into a ball (if the dough seems very wet then add a little more flour. If the dough seems too dry then add a little more plant milk until you achieve the desired texture).
- Place the dough on a baking tray and, using the handle of your wooden spoon, press down to make a deep line going from one side of the dough to the other (you may need to add a little flour to the handle so it does not stick to the dough). Rotate the dough 90° and mark another groove in the dough. You should now have a deep cross in your bread (this will give your bread the traditional shape for soda bread).
- Sprinkle the reserved bran on top of your dough and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. To check if the bread is cooked turn it over and tap the bottom. When cooked it will sound hollow. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
