Lunch: Seeded Whole Grain Soda Bread

Recipe by Claire Saffitz This moist, chewy soda bread satisfies all my starchy cravings but is so packed with seeds, oats, and whole wheat that it's also energy-sustaining. It makes beautiful toast, too."—Claire Saffitz, associate food editor

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Sunflower Seeds, Brown Rice

Health benefits of Seeded Whole Grain Soda Bread

Sunflower seeds are an excellent food for PCOS as they are packed with vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Just one cup of sunflower seeds provides 30% of the recommended daily intake for vitamin B6. Sunflower seeds are also loaded with two other important of PCOS busting minerals: zinc and magnesium. Brown rice is a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons amaranth
1 cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for topping
2 1/4 cups buttermilk, divided, plus more for brushing
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for pan
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons flaxseed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, plus more for topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons brown rice syrup or mild-flavored (light) molasses

Instructions

Mix millet, quinoa, amaranth, 1 cup oats, 1 cup buttermilk, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Cover and let sit 8 –12 hours. (Alternatively, bring ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let sit until mixture is thick like porridge, about 2 hours.)
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Lightly oil an 8"-diameter cast-iron skillet or cake pan. Whisk whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, flaxseed, salt, baking soda, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Work in butter with your fingers until largest pieces are pea-size. Make a well in the center and add brown rice syrup, oat mixture, remaining 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough is smooth, homogenous, and still slightly sticky.
Form dough into a ball and place in prepared pan. Brush with buttermilk; top with more oats and sunflower seeds. Cut a large X into the top and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of loaf registers 190 °F, 55 –70 minutes. Let cool in pan.