Mini Irish Soda Breads

I just had a conversation with someone yesterday about how the smell of baking bread can draw you right in. We both agreed that the scent alone makes us weak in the knees. So, whenever I find myself craving freshly baked bread, but, either time or energy is not on my side, I turn to this basic soda bread recipe to create its magic.

Soda breads, themselves, are probably the quickest of the quick breads. They contain few ingredients that come together in a pinch. But, being ever impatient, I decided that mini versions could satisfy me even faster! Truly though, what I love about these mini breads, is how easy they are to share and that they are kind of fun to eat. Just by pulling them apart along their little dimples, they split perfectly into halves or quarters.  I mean, it was so much fun, I had to eat two!

I haven’t even told you the best part of these sweet little buns! They are deliciously vegan! There are a couple of key plant-based ingredients that I love using in vegan baking. One ingredient is unsweetened almond milk. I really love Silk Original Unsweetened Almondmilk. It’s non-GMO, without any added artificial anything. I also love that almond milk is lower in calories compared to dairy milk,  without any added sugar. The second ingredient that makes vegan baking a breeze, is coconut oil. I use it in place of butter and actually use less than the amount of butter I’d use.  I find a little coconut oil goes a long way and, in this recipe, you won’t taste the difference.

This recipe is very lightly sweetened. You can certainly use granulated sugar, but I like to use coconut palm sugar. It just contains more nutrients compared to refined sugar and is thought to raise your glycemic levels more slowly.  Bits of orange soaked golden raisins and flecks of orange zest are throughout and add so much yumminess…making these little beauties smell lovely, homey and so hard to resist.

Mini Irish Soda Breads

These little buns of soda bread are the perfect size to share. Unbelievably and deliciously vegan.

Serves: 6 Mini Loaves

Ingredients

• 1 orange
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 2 cups 240g whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt
• 1/4 cup 49g granulated sugar or (36g) coconut palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil at room temperature
• 3/4 cup 177ml unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar

Instructions

• Zest the orange into a small bowl or onto a bit of waxed paper and set it aside.
• In a small bowl, add the golden raisins and about 2 tablespoons of juice from the orange. Allow the raisins to soak in the orange juice for at least 30 minutes or longer.
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add the coconut oil and the zest from the orange. Using your fingers, work the coconut oil into the flour.
• In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the almond milk and vinegar. Drain the raisins and add them in as well.
• Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients and using a spoon or spatula, mix until combined.
• Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop out a level amount of dough. Drop the dough into floured hands and create a ball. Repeat until you've made six balls. Using a small sharp knife, cut a cross into each bun, about a half inch down.
• Bake the loaves for about 15 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.