Name: Karask – Traditional Estonian Barley Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 cup barley groats, soaked; ½ cup plant-based milk, plus 2 more splashes (about ⅛ cup); Pinch of sea salt; 1 medium banana; 2 Tbsp applesauce; Handful of walnuts; 2 Tbsp baking powder

Recipes » Side Dishes » Karask – Traditional Estonian Barley Bread

By Nele Liivlaid

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Quick bake Karask is a traditional barley bread in Estonia. It is also known in other countries, such as Scotland and Ireland, as soda bread. Traditionally it is made using butter or oil, eggs and buttermilk but this recipe is plant-based and tastes as heavenly as the Karask I remember from my childhood!

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 45 mins Total: 55 mins

Low Sugar Soy Free

Ingredients

1 cup barley groats, soaked
½ cup plant-based milk, plus 2 more splashes (about ⅛ cup)
Pinch of sea salt
1 medium banana
2 Tbsp applesauce
Handful of walnuts
2 Tbsp baking powder

Whole Food, Plant-Based Living: Getting Started

Instructions

1. Soak barley groats overnight or for 6-8 hours. Soak walnuts for 4 hours. Drain and rinse both.
2. Place all ingredients except baking powder into blender. Blend until the batter is formed. It won’t be a smooth and silky batter, instead you’ll still see pieces of barley. Don’t worry; this is okay. When the batter is done, mix or blend in the baking powder.
3. Line a round 7 inch cake tin with parchment paper and pour the batter in. If you use a bigger cake tin, the bread will be thinner and need less baking time.
4. Bake at 365 degrees for about 40-45 minutes.
5. Let cool and enjoy!

Cooking Tips

1. I used half unsweetened soy milk and half oat milk, which is naturally sweeter than soy giving the bread nice a flavor.
2. Substitute any nuts you like. Soak pecans for 4-6 hours, almonds for 8-12 hours and hazelnuts for 8 hours. No need to soak Brazil and macadamia nuts.
3. If you’d like nut pieces in your bread, chop the soaked nuts and mix into the batter without blending. .