Guys, I just don’t know where to begin. It’s a new reality. One where I kinda feel like this 😁😁😁😭😭😭 all the time. You know what I mean? If I read one more email or post about symptoms or what to buy in case of self-isolation…let’s all take a nice cleansing breath and just focus on the food, shall we?

With St. Patrick’s Day coming tomorrow, I want to share this super delicious spin on a classic Irish favorite, Whole Wheat Irish Soda Loaf.

It comes together quickly and easily and is just loaded with whole grain goodness. In addition to the whole wheat flour, you also add a generous amount of old-fashioned oats to the batter so every bite, while totally tasty, also makes you feel like you’re taking good care of yourself (never more important than now!!)

Every slice is hearty and chewy with a wonderfully craggy, crunchy, bumpy crust. Great on its own—

Or slathered with some fresh Irish butter! It’s guaranteed to bring you at least a few fleeting moments of happiness! Hey, I’ll take whatever I can get!

And if you’re looking for even more Emerald Isle joy, consider this Irish Tea Cake. It’s truly one of my most favorite things in the world!☘️☘️

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Loaf

Makes 1 loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Bake Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing the pan

• 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, well-shaken

The Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF and butter an 8x4 loaf pan. Set aside.

2. Sift the flour with the salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Add the butter to the bowl and use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture. Stir in the oats with a wooden spoon. Add the buttermilk a little at a time, mixing well. The batter will be kind of wet. Turn into the prepared pan and spread out evenly.

3. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the loaf springs back a little when you press it with your finger. The loaf will not rise all that much. Turn the loaf out of the pan and return the loaf directly onto the oven rack to let the loaf cook for another 10 minutes to crisp on the outside.

4. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store, well wrapped at room temperature for a few days.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Irish Pantry by Noel McMeel. I cut this in half and left out the sunflower seeds too.