Soda Bread with Pumpkin Apricot Spread
Soda bread is not just for St. Patty's day and this recipe is out to prove it.
Personally, I've always thought that soda bread is perfect for fall days. The hearty texture, the deep flavor - it all pairs so well with chilly winds and crispy leaves, and maybe even a flannel blanket if you dare...
Pre-slash, pre-bake
Post-slash, post-bake
Making this version even better for fall, the combo of apricots and pumpkin is literal perfection. The citrusy punch of the apricots lightens up the soda bread just enough, while the pumpkin keeps it warm and cozy.
Tell all about your favorite fall foods in the comments and don’t forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 1 hour, plus a few hours to soak the cashews
Serves: 8-12 slices
Ingredients
For the bread (adapted from Bread Illustrated)
1 1/2 cups milk of choice
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1 /2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons sugar of choice (I used coconut sugar)
3 tablespoons butter, divided
For the spread
1 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2-6 hours
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons pumpkin butter
1 cup dried apricots, soaked in hot water for a few minutes
Note: You could use 3 tablespoons apricot preserves or jam in place of the dried apricots. This will make the color a little lighter (pictured), but the flavor will be just as punchy.
Steps
Dough it
(Psst! If you're making the spread, don't forget to get your cashews soaking before you make the bread!)
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Combine the milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and set aside for about 10 minutes. This will make it more buttermilk-esque.
While that is sitting, whisk together your whole wheat flours, all-purpose flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
After the 10 minutes has passed, add your sugar to the milk mixture and whisk until dissolved. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
Pour your milk mixture into your flour mixture and stir, making sure to get all the flour from the bottom of the bowl. Once the mixture starts to come together, dump it onto a clean surface. Use your hands to finish incorporating all the flour and form the dough into a ball.
Next, line a baking sheet with compostable parchment paper and place the dough ball onto the parchment. Using your hands and fingers, flatten the dough ball until it’s about 7 inches in diameter and an even height all around. Use a sharp knife or bread scorer to slash two 1/4-inch-deep lines (in the shape of an x) in the top of the bread. Your scores should extend to about an inch from the edge of the dough.
Pop that puppy in the oven from 45-50 minutes. While it's baking, make your spread.
Spread it
If you’re using dried apricots, place them in a bowl of hot water to soften them up a bit while you prep your other ingredients.
Drain and rinse your cashews and place them in the belly of a food processor or blender. Chuck in the water and pumpkin butter and blend.
After your cashews start to break up, add in your apricots or preserves and continue blending until smooth and creamy. You may have to pause to scrape down the sides a few times. Store the spread in your fridge until ready to use.
Put it all together
Take your bread out of the oven. Resist the urge to immediately cut into the bread - ideally, it should cool on a cooling rack for several hours.
After the bread has cooled, cut into it, slather on some spread and drizzle with honey or maple syrup if desired. Bon appetit.
Sustainability tips tips tips!
Milk: Going for a non-dairy milk is best here. Cows are wrecking the planet, y'all.
Flours: Know where your flours come from! I like to get King Arthur brand because they're a B-Corp (read more in my latest post), so I know I can trust them to do good.
Sugar: I like coconut sugar because it's easy to find fair trade varieties. If you’d rather do cane sugar, try your best to find organic and fair trade. Read all about it in my sustainable cane sugars post!
Butter: Try to buy butter from a brand you trust ( a B-Corp would be a great option!) Butter is dairy and cows are bad, so anything you can do to increase the sustainability of your butter is great.
Cashews: Fair trade cashews ftw. Read more in my sustainable nuts post.
Apricots: Organic apricots from close to home will give you the biggest flavor punch, the fewest pesticides AND the fewest GHGs from travel. It's really a win-win-win. (Organic California apricots were the closest to the Midwest I could find, but at least they weren’t from as far as Turkey!)