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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Sage Soda Bread - in the Microwave?



Some college students have fabulous culinary experiences during their years of higher education. There are universities with elaborate salad bars and make-your-own stir-fry stations, and there are the fortunate students who live on or near campuses large enough to attract food carts of every ethnic and gourmet persuasion imaginable. Personally, I attended a tiny arts college that possessed only an even tinier cafeteria, which seemed to pride itself on serving absolutely nothing of nutritional value. The fruit came from a can, the vegetables looked anemic, and the vegetarian option was usually cheese pizza. In response, my roommates, Lisa and Emily, and I, cooked. Everything. In our dorm-room microwave.

We poached salmon, we cooked rice pilaf, we steamed asparagus, we boiled pasta, we made omelets, we baked cupcakes. Our friend Kathleen, who lived off campus with such luxuries as a kitchen, kindly gave me a gorgeous microwave cookbook for the holidays one year, and our horizons expanded even further. And we continued cooking. In the microwave. I am quite certain our dorm room was the only one hosting formal dinner parties during the four years we were on campus.

Just last night, as I was shelving the last of the cookbooks to be unpacked in our new apartment, I opened my beloved, nostalgic microwave cookbook randomly and happened upon a recipe for sage soda bread, which seemed just the thing to complete our menu as I waited for Zach to finish his evening studying. To our surprise, the bread was delightful - the texture was a bit different from usual soda bread, and a little chewy, but pleasantly so, and a light crust even formed in some magic way while revolving in the microwave. Perhaps there is always a place for microwave-baked 8 minute bread at the table, even years later, dorm rooms a distant memory...





8 Minute Microwave Sage Soda Bread

(Adapted from Carol Bowen's The Microwave Kitchen Bible)

4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp rubbed sage
1 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

~ In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and sage.
~ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and stir in the buttermilk. Kneed by hand just until the dough comes together.
~ Coat a large, microwave safe plate with cooking spray. Shape the bread into a circle, and place on the plate.
~ Microwave on high for 8 minutes, then serve warm!




4 comments:

  1. I shudder now to think of some of the things I ate in dear old GLAR. But let's be fair...there was a salad bar at least. And fresh fruit (I know from my runner friends there were always bananas)

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  2. woww.. bread in microwave.. that sounds interesting.. by the way, what is sage??

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  3. I am going to make this as soon as possible! The first of many recipes of yours I want to try.
    I am always on the lookout for non-yeast breads - and not heating up the kitchen these days is a definite plus.

    Janey
    janeyknitting AT yahoo DOT ca
    (Change caps to symbols and lose the spaces.)

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  4. I knew immediately which book you meant. The same thing happened to me. I've had the book for years having bought it in a booksale six years ago and totally forgot about it until a box under the bed caught my attention. It's been a real gem.

    ReplyDelete