Amaranth Soda Bread Recipes

SEEDED WHOLE GRAIN SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Mix millet, quinoa, amaranth, 1 cup oats, 1 cup buttermilk, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Cover and let sit 8-12 hours. (Alternatively, bring ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let sit until mixture is thick like porridge, about 2 hours.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil an 8"-diameter cast-iron skillet or cake pan. Whisk whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, flaxseed, salt, baking soda, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Work in butter with your fingers until largest pieces are pea-size. Make a well in the center and add brown rice syrup, oat mixture, remaining 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is smooth, homogenous, and still slightly sticky.
• Form dough into a ball and place in prepared pan. Brush with buttermilk; top with more oats and sunflower seeds. Cut a large X into the top and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of loaf registers 190°F, 55-70 minutes. Let cool in pan.
• Do ahead
• Bread can be baked 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

AMARANTH-SUNFLOWER-SPELT BREAD

Steps:

• Place 1 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt in a 1-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Add amaranth, lower flame, and cover. Simmer for 45 minutes or until water is absorbed.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Spread the sunflower seeds on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 cup of the toasted sunflower seeds, and remaining sea salt in a medium-size mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy milk, amaranth, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly, but do not overmix. Batter will be thick but pourable.
• Lightly oil (or pan-spray) a 9- or 10-inch pie pan.
• Pour in the batter and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

EINKORN AND AMARANTH SOURDOUGH BREAD REVISITED

Steps:

• Mixing, Gluten Development & Bulk Fermentation
• Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until they're well incorporated. Cover and let the dough rest 30-60 minutes.
• Laminate the dough 1-2 times. This can be done in quick succession or with a rest in between. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and let it rest about 30 minutes.
• Perform 3-4 rounds of coil folding/stretching and folding at 20-40 minute intervals.
• End the bulk fermentation when the dough is puffy and bubbly. In my oven with the light on (mid-80s), this dough fermented about 4 1/2 hours.
• Pre-shaping, Bench Rest, Shaping
• Scrape the dough out of your bowl and onto a lightly floured countertop. Preshape the dough into a ball, cover it with your bowl, and let it rest 20-60 minutes. Aim for the shorter side of that range if the dough is webby and very fermented, and longer if it seems less fermented.
• Flour the rested dough and your proofing basket. Flip the dough and shape it into an oval, round or oblong loaf. Flour the shaped dough and place in your proofing basket seam-side up.
• Final Proof
• For the final proof, aim for an expanded dough that doesn't rebound when gently poked. In the case of this dough, I left it at room temperature for about 70 minutes and then popped it into the freezer for 20 minutes. Overnight refrigeration works, too, as does room temperature only, and many combinations of warm and cold.
• Preheating & Baking
• Before the final proof is over, preheat your oven and baking vessel to 500F for 30 minutes.
• Flip your dough directly into the base of your baking vessel, or flip it onto parchment paper and then transfer the dough and parchment to the base of your vessel.
• Score the top of the dough.
• If your baking vessel is made of clay, you can paint the dough with water if you want to remove excess flour and add more steam to the process. If your baking vessel is made of cast iron, you can add an ice cube under the parchment paper.
• Cover and return the vessel to the oven.
• Bake:
• 15 minutes at 500F with the lid on. If your baking vessel is made of cast iron, add a baking sheet under your baking vessel after this stage.
• 10 minutes at 450F with the lid on.
• 5-10 minutes at 450F with the lid off.
• The internal temperature of your bread should be at least 205F when you remove it from the oven. Let the dough cool for several hours before cutting.