One of the first breads I ever baked was Irish Soda Bread. It was easy and ever so delicious. It is still one of my favorites--warm with butter slathered over it. Butter not margarine! That is the only way to savour this bread. This recipe is from Bernard Clayton and it is a very rich version of soda bread.
Royal Hibernian Brown Loaf
(from the Royal Hibernian Hotel in Dublin)
- 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour; stone-ground preferred
- 1 cup all-purpose flour; approximately
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter; room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees 20 minutes before baking.
In a bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. With your fingers work in the butter until it is absorbed by the flour, and the mixture resembles tiny, soft bread crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the mixture. In a separate bowl lightly beat the egg and stir in the milk. Gradually pour the egg-milk mixture into the well, mixing first with a spoon and then by hand or mixer flat beater when it forms a stiff dough.
Lift the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Work the dough with your hands and a dough knife to thoroughly blend all of the ingredients. Do not knead. The butter in the dough will make it easy to work without sticking to the work surface or the hands. Sprinkle with flour if it should stick.
Shape into a plumb round ball. Pat down the top slightly, and with a knife or razor blade cut a 1/2"-deep cross on the top.
Place the loaf on the baking sheet, and bake until it has browned and has opened dramatically along the cuts, about 45 minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool before cutting into thin slices.
Bernard Clayton,Jr. Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.
I added a cup of raisins to Clayton's recipe. Obviously, these are optional; but I really like them.
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