This is a whole-grain sourdough recipe that is really good! The small loaves cook up with crunchy crusts and soft interiors in the air fryer, and the breads are incredibly nutritious and appropriate for a diabetic diet (of course in moderation). How do the breads taste? They are really good. The breads are studded with raisins and walnuts and sweetened with a little orange juice and date puree (just soak dates in very hot water to cover and then mash them). Sweet spices--cinnamon, ginger, and allspice--give the breads extra flavor. I like to top the breads with extra oats and nuts for crunch, but it's not essential. The breads are simple to make, and, yes, you can use leftover breakfast oatmeal in them, if you'd like. We like slices of the bread for breakfast, and pieces also make great snacks with cheese or nut butter. Enjoy!
Sourdough Brown Breads -- Makes 2 Loaves
1/2 cup of oats (I use quick oats)
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of raisins
2 tablespoons of flax seed meal (or milled flax seeds)
1/2 cup of water
1/4 - 1/3 cup of date puree
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 cup of sourdough starter/discard
1 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup of orange juice
In a small cup or measure mix the oats and water. Microwave the oats and water for a minute and a half or until very, very hot. Stir the mixture well, add the raisins to it, and set the mixture aside to cool until just barely warm. In a large bowl mix the flax seed meal and the 1/2 cup of water. Add the date puree, canola oil, and sourdough starter/discard, and stir the mixture until everything is thoroughly mixed. Stir in the oatmeal mixture and then the white whole-wheat flour and the orange juice until completely combined. Loosely cover the mixture with plastic wrap and set it aside for at least an hour. I usually leave my mixture for 4-5 hours, and it's fine. When you're ready, add to the mixture:
1 1/2 cups of white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
1/2 cup of chopped, toasted walnuts
Stir the flour, salt, spices, and walnuts into the first mixture until everything is well combined. The mixture will be too soft to knead, and that's fine. Just stir everything well for a few minutes. You want to make sure everything is completely mixed and that the gluten develops a bit. You can use a mixer, if you want, but I just use a wooden spoon and a bit of arm muscle. It's good exercise! Line two six-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray the paper with a little non-stick cooking spray. Divide the batter between the two pans, smoothing it a bit. If you'd like, you can top the batter with:
1/2 cup of quick oats
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
A dusting of cinnamon
Just divide the oats and nuts between the two pans, sprinkling them on top of the batter and pressing them into the batter slightly. Dust the tops with a little cinnamon. Spritz the tops of the loaves with non-stick cooking spray or canola oil. Let the batter rise for an hour or two or until the batter just crests the top of the pan.
Air fry the loaves at 320 degrees for about 45 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of about 200 degrees and a pick inserted in the center of a loaf comes out with no wet dough attached. Let the loaves cool in their pans for 10 minutes before turning them out to cool completely. The loaves will slice best after they have cooled completely.
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