Molasses Soda Bread

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup raisins

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400 and lightly oil a large baking sheet. sprinkle the sheet with cornmeal, semolina, or oats, and set aside.
• 2 put the 1/2 cup oats in mixing bowl. stir in the buttermilk, molasses and oil; reserve.
• 3 mix dry ingredients in large bowl. make a well in the dry mixture and add the liquid all at once; add raisins. stir briskly with a wooden spoon until dough pulls together in a shaggy mass. let rest 3 minutes.
• 4 flour your work surface and hands. scoop half of the dough onto floured surface and knead gently; if dough is a little sticky, a dough scraper might help. knead for 1 minute, shaping into a ball. place on the baking sheet. using a sharp, serrated knife, make two parallel slashes on the surface of the dough, about 3/4 -inch deep. repeat for the other half of dough and place on sheet; leave plenty of room between the loaves.
• 5 bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and bake 20 minutes more, until dark and crusty. when done, the bottom should sound hollow when tapped with a finger. cool loaves before slicing.