Cous cous and cashew soda bread

When I came across this bread recipe I was intrigued by its use of cous cous  as a main ingredient. Cous cous is one of my favourite pantry staples, so I was excited by the opportunity to experiment with it in a new way. The result was a nutty, dense loaf that went well with a good layer of avocado and some cracked pepper.  I also tried it with some manuka honey and Mitch with vegemite, proving it's a fairly versatile bread.

While the recipe says to bake for 45 minutes, it was still slightly sticky on the inside and probably could have done with another 5 to 10 minutes in the oven.

I'll be saving the rest of the loaf to accompany some more soup recipes that I've earmarked.

Cous cous and cashew soda bread

300g plain wholemeal flour

1tsp bicarb soda

1tsp baking powder

60g organic cous cous

100g salted raw cashew nuts, roughly chopped

250ml buttermilk (or 250ml whole milk soured with 1tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Put the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, making a well in the centre.

Pour the buttermilk into the flour, along with 435ml of warm water and stir quickly to combine.

Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 20x10cm loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, until risen and golden on top.

Let the bread cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes before serving warm. The bread will keep for up to two days in an airtight container.