Brown Irish Soda Bread

Brown Irish Soda Bread

Almost every St. Patrick's Day, I make Irish Soda Bread.  I was pleasantly surprised when I made this recipe for "Brown Irish Soda Bread."  Being that it had wheat flour and wheat germ, I thought it would be dry.  I was wrong.  This bread had a wonderful moist hearty flavor.  I loved the  extra nuttiness the wheat germ gave to the bread.  It can be enjoyed warm from the oven or toasted.  Most of us ate the bread warm with butter.  My son, Tim, who is famous for his Nutella sandwiches spread Nutella on a piece toasted.  Which ever way you eat it this is a wonderful loaf of bread.
This bread is super easy and quick to make.  In a large mixing bowl, you whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  In a 2-cup measuring cup you add the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry, and stir just until the dough comes together.  The dough is then kneaded and patted into a 7-inch round.  Transfer to a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the bread from the oven and brush the top with some melted butter.  Let the bread cool on a wire rack and serve.

Makes 1 loaf

Brown Irish Soda Bread
From Cook's Country Magazine

Ingredients:

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in large bowl.  Combine buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in 2-cup liquid measuring cup.

Dry Ingredients

2. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until dough just comes together.  Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter and knead until cohesive mass forms, about 8 turns.  Pat dough into 7-inch round and transfer to prepared sheet.  Using sharp serrated knife, make 1/4-inch-deep cross about 5 inches long on top of loaf.  Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean and loaf registers 195 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.

3. Remove bread from oven. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter.  Transfer loaf to wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour.  Serve.

Wet Ingredients Pour Over Dry

Patted Into 7-Inch Disc

Cross Cut Into Top of Bread

Cooling

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