Delicious chesnut and soda bread for autumn cheers!

Chesnut, in all its guises, is one of the treats I look forward to when the kids go back to school and the weather turns a bit chillier – and you know it is that time of year again and summer is over…

Chesnut Soda bread

This time, I have used chesnut flour to make my favourite soda loaf and I think you will LOVE – as we did here- its chewy, light and muffin-like bite… Because it has no gluten, chesnut flour is easily digestible and in this recipe I have replaced the traditionnal buttermilk with oat milk to make it suitable for vegans!

As I am continuing on my health trek and avoiding all animal products, this recipe came as a particular “coup de maitre” and I am exceedingly chuffed with the result. It is so yummy it is more of a cake than a bread and sooo vertuous it is hard not to love it. 

Ingredients list:

• Wholemeal flour 150g
• Chesnut flour 150g
• Bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp
• Pinch of salt
• Olive oil 50ml
• Oat milk (oatly) 250ml

The idea with a soda bread is to mix all the ingredients very lightly and NOT to knead at all. That makes it ideal for first-timers!

So mix the flours and soda in a big bowl. The bigger the better.

Add the salt and olive oil – it is a bit much I know but you’ll love the texture: open and light and nicely buttery without a hint of butter.

Throw the whole lot of milk in and mix well. Roll out onto a floured surface and add a bit of wholemeal flour if too sticky. Just pat to shape. No kneading required.

Cut a few marks on the top, like a cross or anything to help the raising.

Bake in a hot oven at 180〬 for about 25 min. It needs to have raised and to sound a bit hollow to the touch. Eat it warm or the same day with a bit of nut butter: I love it with hazelnut butter but it is delicious on its own as well or with olives as a starter , as in the photo.

Enjoy and let me know if you did when you next visit!

Nutrition notes:

Wholemeal flours and gluten-free flours such as chesnut are a good source of vitamins and fibres and they are suitable for a healthy diet for the whole family.  I try and discourage my children to eat white, highly refined flour and they are definitely won over when I can produce an alternative as tasty and indulgent as that! High 5!

children running on the wave-breaker