Scottish Oaten Bread (ABM)

Despite the bread machine label, this is a quick bread rather than a yeast loaf. The leavening is baking powder and baking soda, not yeast, so use the cake or quick bread cycle on your machine if it has one. Rolled oats provide the signature texture, while flour gives the structure, and the surprise sweetener is a full cup of cola which adds caramel notes and dark color you would not get from sugar alone.

Chopped prunes contribute a sticky, fruity sweetness that plays against the oats, and walnuts add crunch and a subtle bitter note that keeps the whole loaf from feeling too sweet. The result is a hearty oat bread that eats more like a tea cake than a sandwich loaf. Slice thick, toast lightly, and spread with butter for breakfast or an afternoon snack with strong tea.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the cake or quick bread cycle on the bread machine. Standard yeast cycles will not work since this loaf is chemically leavened.
• Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick or instant. Quick oats turn to mush in the batter while instant nearly disappears.
• Pit the prunes thoroughly before chopping. One missed pit ruins the bread and your tooth.
• Use flat cola, not freshly opened. The fizz can throw off the leavening reaction. Leave the cola on the counter for an hour first to let it go flat.
• Test doneness with a wooden skewer at the end of the cycle. Bread machines vary in how dry they leave quick breads.

Variations

• Swap the cola for stout, root beer, or strong brewed coffee for different background flavors.
• Replace the prunes with chopped dates or dried figs for a fruitier loaf.
• Substitute pecans or almonds for the walnuts.