For many people, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t St. Patrick’s Day until there’s green beer, green shamrocks, green everything. Mine is marked by the presence of Irish Soda Bread which I love, crave like crazy once a year, and consume in excess mid-March. This version gets a healthy twist with whole wheat flour and steel cut oats. It also gets simplified by using melted butter you can stir right in verses cold butter that you have to cut into the dry ingredients. So… you have a healthier, easier to make Irish Soda Bread leaving more calories/time for things like green beer.  Cheers!

You’ll need:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 0.5 cup steel cut oats
• 0.5 cup sugar
• 2.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 2.5 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1 cup raisins

To Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 9- inch round baking pan or oven proof skillet.
2. In a large bowl whisk together flours, oats, sugar, baking soda, salt, raisins and caraway.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add buttermilk, eggs and butter. Mix until just combined (it won’t be perfect).
3. Form the dough into a boule/round loaf as best you can and place in grease pan. We’re going for “rustic” here. Using a serrated knife, cut an “X” on the top of the loaf. Bake for 35 minutes.

Inspired by Healthy-Delicious