Vegan Lemony Soda Bread With Poppy Seeds

Lemony Soda Bread is a delicious addition to one's quick bread repertoire. It is vegan, easy to make, and healthy too; I have incorporated whole wheat flour to increase the nutrients. It is luscious with dried blueberries, strawberries, cherries or any combination; cranberries, raisins or currants may also be used. Since Soda Bread A l'Orange has been such a success, I have been wanting to try my hand at one using lemons. And on a spur of the moment I added some poppy seeds......... needless to say, I am pleased with the results :D!

Fragrant and juicy Meyer lemons are perfect for this recipe; but if Meyer lemons are not available, other lemons will work also. Regular lemons are tarter than Meyer lemons which are on the sweet side - so soda bread using a regular lemon will have a more pronounced tart lemony taste. I have made this recipe using both types of lemons and love the tangy taste of regular lemon; but if you prefer, you could decrease the tartness by substituting water for 1-2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Or try Soda Bread A l'Orange if you are partial to orange flavor rather than lemon; these are probably the easiest and tastiest recipes for making soda bread.

I love making these in muffin tins for neat individual servings. Made in small loaf pans or fancy molds, these are great at tea time and make great gifts too :D. When using other molds or pans, the baking time will need to be adjusted.

Ingredients:

1 cup each Unbleached Flour and Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
1 Meyer lemon, zest and juice (1/4 cup)
1 Tbsp Oil
1 cup Milk (any type)
1 Tbsp Corn Starch + 2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup dried fruits, your choice

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a standard 8 inch square cake pan: coat with oil or a cooking oil spray.

Stir the flours in their containers/bags before measuring.

Measure the flour, sugar, soda, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl; stir gently to mix and make a well in the center.

Add the lemon zest, poppy seeds and the dried fruits to the bowl; if the dried fruit pieces are large, chop them to desired size.

Pour all of the liquid ingredients into the well in the flour mixture.

Combine all the ingredients gently but thoroughly but do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and the bread pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan.

Cool and serve warm with Lime Curd, Lemon/Lime Honey spread, or other preserves. It is good at room temperature also but can be warmed or toasted. Enjoy!