Carrot Soda Bread

Whenever I make bread, I love it. I love it in the way only a mother could love it. It never comes out quite right, and I don’t think I’d ever share it with anyone, but the carb-lover in me really doesn’t care. The carb-lover is just proud I made something that borders on cakey so when you toast it [in the oven under the broiler because I’m terrified it’s going to break off in the toaster] it’s kind of crunchy and warm, but still dense and chewy in the middle. Anytime I make bread, it always ends up dense. I’m sure it’s over-kneading. Story of my life. I fear for pockets of unmixed flour in random bites, so I mix more than I should. Apparently my idea of “until just combined” is still a little past the right way to do it. I don’t bake enough to hone my skills, so it’ll have to do.

The idea is pretty genius though. It’s about as quick as you can get for making bread. Adding the shredded carrots adds fiber, color, and a hint of sweetness, which is just fine by me. I suppose the raisins are optional for the raisin haters out there, but you should really give them a shot. It makes for a slightly sweet, breakfast-esque bread. Or lunch bread. Or snack bread. You get the idea.

Inspiration: Food52

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup raisins

Preparation

Heat your oven to 400°. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the shredded carrot and butter milk. Stir until combined. Fold in the raisins and try to evenly distribute as much as possible. I used my hands for this. It counts as kneading so remember to work quickly and gently. Don’t make my mistakes.

Place the shaggy ball of dough on a 9″ cast iron skillet and bake until brown. It’ll make a hollow sound when you tap on it. This will take approximately 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into it.