Buckwheat Soda Bread

Buckwheat is not a gluten-containing wheat product. It is a groat or seed and is gluten free, an ancient grain, hearty, and nourishing. I love the robust flavor that baked goods made with buckwheat impart, a long way from ONEder bread’s bland and sticky texture. This bread holds up well to a sandwich, but I love it simply toasted and topped with a tablespoon of pastured butter.

Dry Ingredients

2 and 1/4 c. buckwheat flour

1 c. almond flour or meal

1/2 c. arrowroot flour

1/4 c. ground psyllium husk

1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

Wet Ingredients

2 c. water

3 T. organic butter

1 T. chia seeds

1 T. gelatin

1 T. molasses

Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf pan with butter or coconut oil.

Start with the wet ingredients. Sprinkle gelatin lightly and evenly over water, let stand a few minutes for gelatin to “proof” or absorb water. Warm this over low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Add butter, chia, molasses, stir vigorously, and turn off the heat to the burner. Let this stay on burner to use radiant heat to melt butter.

In a large separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk together to incorporate well.  Stir wet ingredients until they are coherent and butter is melted.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir.  The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and stick to itself making a dough ball, but will remain slightly tacky.  Use some more buckwheat flour for dusting over the top, sides, and your hands to help navigate the dough into greased loaf pan.  Smooth out top. Cut a shallow groove lengthwise down the center of bread dough to encourage even baking.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.  The bread is cooked when you can flick the top of the bread, it feels solid with a thud and a hollow sound remitting back.  Cool slightly before removing loaves from pan to a cooling rack.  Let the bread cool completely before slicing, or else it will be gummy.  It will keep longer stored in the fridge.  Enjoy.