Buckwheat is one of my favorite grains. I’ve been experimenting with everything from pancakes to yakisoba to both quick and yeasted breads; I enjoy all forms this wonder grain comes in! It has a bad reputation for being super heavy, languid, and mushy. It makes things overly ‘complicated’ I’ve been told, giving breads a lead-like feeling. Hmmm. I felt compelled to prove this theory wrong and put one of my favorite grains to the test.
It’s been unseasonably cool here in Portland this past week. (July is normally nice and warm, dry, and always sunny!) I think this is why I’ve been craving things like buckwheat, because of their nourishing, warming, and grounding effects. When I found this recipe, I immediately went out and got the ingredients I was missing and set to it. There is something so satisfying about making a loaf of bread; I like how it takes the good part of an afternoon or evening, it gives me a chance to multi-task and feel like I am getting so much more done! ha 
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This bread has everything you are looking for in a breakfast bread plus more. The buckwheat makes it sustaining, giving you long lasting energy that doesn’t weigh you down. The cinnamon and raisins in it compliment the buckwheat flavor and offer just the perfect amount of spice and sweet for your morning palate. I like it spread with some sweet cream butter or apple butter, it’s incredible!
Bread, especially yeasted breads, take a little bit of patience. It can be daunting to think that you have to wait around for this bread to rise three times when you have so much else to do! So you might want to do other things while you wait for it to rise a few times, just timing your other activities to coincide with the bread. It helps if you have a bunch of stuff to get done around the house and you know you’ll be home for an afternoon. Set a timer and go about your other activities, so you don’t forget when to knead, punch, and bake . I really enjoy the kneading part, it’s a great arm workout and helps me think. But I also use my stand mixer with the bread attachment for kneading sometimes; not with this bread though. Bread also has a reputation for ‘complication‘ but I would encourage you to try it if you’d like. If you mess up, oh well! Try it again, and maybe try an easier recipe like a basic french loaf. The smell of bread rising in your house, the taste of warm bread from the oven with melted butter and jam, there is nothing like them! Bread might be the answer to making the world a happier place I think, at least it does for me!
Bon Appetit!
Buckwheat-Raisin Bread, adopted from Deborah Madison
The Sponge
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 package) active yeast
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dried buttermilk or non fat milk
3 tablespoons honey
The Bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cup dark raisins
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 – 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Mix everything for the sponge in a blow until smooth, cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
Stir down the sponge and add oil, salt, raisins, cinnamon. Stir in buckwheat then work in flour until you can’t work it any more. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until resilient, about 6 minutes. Put into an oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours.
Punch down dough in the bowl and let rise again about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 F, and brush with an optional egg glaze or dust with a little buckwheat flour and bake 45 minutes. Enjoy!
