Aoife’s Brown Oat & Seed Bread
Serves 1
Directions
- 1Preheat your oven to 180°C conventional / 170°C fan / Gas Mark 4.
- 2Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin.
- 3In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the plain flour, coarse wholemeal flour, oat bran or finely ground oats, salt and bread soda.
- 4Add the porridge oats, soft brown sugar, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, linseed and sesame seeds if using. Mix everything together.
- 5In a separate jug, lightly beat the egg.
- 6Whisk in the rapeseed oil and black treacle until combined.
- 7Add 375ml of buttermilk to the wet ingredients and stir.
- 8Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix gently until everything is just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- 9If the mixture feels too stiff, gradually add a little more buttermilk. You want a soft, moist mixture that is easy to spoon into the tin, but not runny.
- 10Spoon the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.
- 11Sprinkle with porridge oats and your chosen seeds. Make a shallow cut along the centre of the loaf.
- 12Bake for approximately 55 to 65 minutes, until beautifully browned and cooked through.
- 13Check with a skewer inserted into the centre. It should come out clean or with just a few dry crumbs.
- 14Remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup plain flour
- 1 1/4 cups coarse wholemeal flour
- 1/2 cup porridge oats
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon bread soda
- 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon linseed (optional)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 medium egg
- 3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
- 1 large tablespoon black treacle
- 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- porridge oats, for the topping (optional)
- pumpkin seeds, for the topping (optional)
- sunflower seeds, for the topping (optional)
- sesame seeds, for the topping (optional)
Equipment
large mixing bowljugwhiskspatula2 lb loaf tinparchment paperknifewire rack
Tips
- You can replace the rapeseed oil with 3 tablespoons melted butter or mild olive oil if you prefer.
- You can leave out the sunflower, pumpkin, linseed and sesame seeds completely for a seed-free loaf. Because seeds absorb some moisture, you may need slightly less buttermilk (around 350 to 375ml should be sufficient).
- Enjoy a thick slice with proper Irish butter, or serve it alongside a steaming bowl of homemade vegetable soup.
