Yes, it's been an embarrassingly long time since I last posted. I admit it. I got soft. I was lulled into complacency by Zack, who was getting hitched, and who also hadn't been posting. We had eased into a fragile detente during those last months of his engagement. Then, WHAM! POW! BAM! KAZAM!
He rope-a-doped me.
He came back with a vengeance. He's been a cooking, writing, posting machine. He has brilliantly out-maneuvered me this last week.
Tip of the cap, sir. You've won this round. But this is a 12-course fight, and I've got endurance, Zack. Endurance you can't even comprehend with your fancy ice cream maker and your veggie friendly brown rice.
I'll get to you in the later rounds.
I decided the best thing I could do was circle the wagons and get back to basics. Flour. Butter. Baking soda. Brown sugar. Get my hands in the dough and knead.
Oh yeah.
Oatmeal-Walnut Soda Bread
•2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
•1 3/4 cups buttermilk
•2 cups all-purpose flour
•1/2 cup wheat flour
•1/2 cup plain cake flour
•1 cup walnuts
•1/4 cup brown sugar
•1 1/2 tsps salt
•1 1/2 tsps baking soda
•1 1/2 tsps cream of tartar
•3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Soak 2 cups of oats in the buttermilk for 1 hour.
Toast walnuts in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool and chop coarse.
Whisk flours, remaining oats, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar.
Work in 2 tablespoons of butter with your fingertips.
Add the buttermilk-soaked oats and toasted nuts. Stir in with a fork until the dough just starts to come together. Turn out on flour coated surface and knead just until the dough is fully together, about a dozen or so turns.
Pat the dough into a round about 2 inches high. Place on a greased baking sheet. Score the top of the dough with a cross shape using a serrated knife.
Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 50 minutes.
Remove from oven, brush surface with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Cool to room temperature, 30-40 minutes before cutting.
Serve this bread with a little butter. Good for breakfast, a snack, or with dinner.
(This recipe was largely borrowed from The New Best Recipe, Copyright 2004 by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated.)
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