I’m obsessed with kombucha, the fermented tea drink. I drink it like I used to drink soda as a kid: at least once a day. I crave the feeling of that cold, carbonated liquid hitting my chest, giving me the sensation it’s opening my lungs for the first time that day … it’s addicting. I love watching the agitated bubbles rise to the lip of the bottle, too. I can tell it’s going to be a gusher when the cap is bulging before I even open the bottle. I thought I could use the carbonation and acid to make some kind of quick bread or breakfast muffin. So this is my tea-twist on the Irish soda bread I come across so often here in Boston.
20 minutes or less, egg-free, vegan option, whole wheat
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (360 g) white whole wheat flour or spelt flour
- 4 tsp (10 g) baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, melted, or neutral oil
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) agave or honey
- 1 (16-oz) bottle plain kombucha
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius or gas mark 7). Oil the wells of a muffin tin and have it nearby.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Pour the melted butter and agave over the dry ingredients, and then pour in the kombucha. Whisk the mixture until just combined. Don’t overmix or your muffins will be tough.
- Immediately divide the mixture among the muffin wells, and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius or gas mark 5) and finish cooking for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The initial high heat of the oven will make sure the muffins pop out over the edges of the pan. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Serve warm with more softened butter, if you like.
ALTERNATIVE FATS: You can use melted dairy-free butter or a neutral oil like grapeseed, safflower, sunflower or canola oil.
Also from Black Girl Baking:
For Jerrelle Guy, food has always been what has shaped her ? her body, her character, her experiences and her palate. Growing up as the sensitive, slightly awkward child of three in a race-conscious space, she decided early on that she’d rather spend her time eating cookies and honey buns than taking on the weight of worldly issues. It helped her see that good food is the most powerful way to connect, understand and heal. Inspired by this realization, each one of her recipes tells a story. Orange Peel Pound Cake brings back memories of summer days eating Florida oranges at Big Ma’s house, Rosketti cookies reimagine the treats her mother ate growing up in Guam, and Plaited Dukkah Bread parallels the braids worked into her hair as a child. Jerrelle leads you on a sensual baking journey using the five senses, retelling and reinventing food memories while using ingredients that make her feel more in control and more connected to the world and the person she has become. Whole flours, less refined sugar and vegan alternatives make it easier to celebrate those sweet moments that made her who she is today.
Reprinted with permission from Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy, Page Street Publishing Co. 2018. Photo credit: Jerrelle Guy.
