Oat Soda Bread

I did it!  I actually baked something!  I came across this recipe at 101 Cookbooks and in conjunction with In Jennie's Kitchen I came up with a recipe and method to make this bread. 

I liked the idea of using oat flour, which I made easily from scratch.  Just take rolled oats, pulse a couple of times in the food processor and then process for about 2 minutes.  The conversion factor is 1-to-1, 1 cup rolled oats equals 1 cup oat flour.  What really caught my eye was the sprinkling of seeds on top of the bread before baking. 

I'm enjoying my last couple of days of freedom before 3 days of CPS test proctoring followed by a return to school, so I decided to take advantage of my free time!  The bread was very dense and pretty yummy served with some butter.

OAT SODA BREAD

7 oz rolled oats (or 7 oz oat flour if you have it on hand)
10 oz unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
2 cups buttermilk, plus 2 Tbsp for brushing
2 Tbsp mixed seeds - I used carraway, sesame and flax

--Preheat oven to 400

--Butter a 9x5x3 baking pan and line with parchment paper

--To make the oat flour, add oats to food processor and pulse a few times.  Then process for about 2 minutes until you have a fine powder

--Sift both of the flours, the salt and baking soda into a large bowl and whisk to combine

--Add the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon until everything comes together

--Lay the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for about 1 minute

--Deposit the dough into the baking pan and brush all over with the extra buttermilk

--Sprinkle the bread with the seeds and with a knife make a few cuts across the top of the bread

--On the middle rack, bake the bread for about 27 minutes.  Then, moving quickly, move the rack and bread to the second to top rack and bake for another 18 minutes.

--Remove the bread from the oven and pan, and let cool on a wire rack for about an hour