Vegan Amish Oatmeal Bread with Raisins
My grandma really enjoys reading in her spare time and her favorite genre is Amish fiction. I must agree, it’s fun to learn about such a different culture and simple way of life. At times, I almost think I’d rather be Amish! Okay, not really–I appreciate running water and electricity. That being said, I am proficient in driving a horse and carriage. 🙂 Anyway, one of my grandma’s most recent books had a recipe in the back for Five-Grain Quick Bread. She sent it my way, so I wanted to test it out. I made some simple substitutions and the result was this Vegan Amish Oatmeal Bread with Raisins. It’s dense, hearty, and has a sweet touch from the raisins. It actually reminds me a lot of Irish soda bread, except with more substance.
Substitutions
Vegan Amish Oatmeal Bread is very adaptable if veganism isn’t your thing or if you aren’t allergic to animal products. One easy swap is using butter in place of coconut oil. If you do use coconut oil, both refined and unrefined work well. Neither one leaves a coconut flavor.
I chose to use oat milk with apple cider vinegar as a buttermilk substitute. I make my own oat milk (and will share a recipe soon), so I haven’t tested it with any commercial plant-based milks. My oat milk didn’t curdle the same way cow’s milk does with vinegar, but the main goal of using buttermilk is for acidity, so as long as the vinegar is present, it works. If you don’t want to worry about making your own “buttermilk”, the real deal is the best non-vegan replacement.
As far as eggs go, I’ve honestly never used one in all my life. The original recipes calls for one and I’m sure it would work, but I made a flax “egg” using 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of hot water. Aquafaba is my other favorite egg replacement. I use 3 tablespoons to make one egg.
How to Make Vegan Amish Oatmeal Bread
Putting this recipe together only takes a couple of minutes. Start by preparing the “buttermilk” and “egg” by combining oat milk with vinegar and flax with water in two separate bowls. Give them each a good whisk and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, add the oats, both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined. Then, cut the chilled coconut oil into small pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your hands to work the oil into the dough until the pieces are pea-sized and evenly distributed throughout. Stir in the raisins.
In a medium bowl, whisk the “buttermilk”, “egg”, and molasses. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to mix everything together. Then, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead it several times until it forms a cohesive ball. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and flatten it into a disk about 7 inches in diameter. Slash an “X” in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife and sprinkle an additional tablespoon of rolled oats over the top. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you choose to bake the bread in a loaf pan instead of as a round disk, it may take longer in the oven, but will still turn out well.
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