Spring is the time for cherry blossoms in Japan. As the warm spring breezes blow in, the seasonal blossoms are soon to follow.

Wagashi, Japanese sweets, are the perfect platform for expressing the seasons in beautifully designed desserts. Designs made of nerikiri are the perfect expression of the spring season.

The official name of this bread is Kavring. It has a nice brown color and a slightly sweet taste. The bread is quick to put together since it does not contain yeast but is leavened using baking powder and baking soda.

I used a standard size loaf pan for baking the bread. This recipe is quite generous and makes two loaves. 

180 grams bread flour

90 grams rye flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Golden syrup and molasses (add some of both to fill 1/3 cup)

270 grams milk

1. Whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Mix together the milk and the syrup/molasses in another bowl then add to the flour mixture in portions. Mix thoroughly with a spatula. 

2. Preheat the oven to 95 degrees Celsius.

3. Bake for 1 hour at 95 C. then raise the temperature to 150 C. and bake for another 30 - 40 minutes. The bread should have a nice rise when it is fully baked.

4. Let the bread cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before slicing. 

This bread tastes great with cream cheese and smoked salmon. 

Thank you to https://true-north-kitchen.com/wprm_print/8541# for this recipe.