Beannachtaí na Féile Padraig Ort (Blessings of St Patrick’s Day)
Wholewheat Soda Bread was a staple in my house growing up in Ireland. As a new immigrant to the US, I missed it. Irish whole-wheat flour is coarser than most US flours. On visits home, I would pack a bag of Irish wholewheat flour in my suitcase. Any visitors from home were also asked to bring me fresh supplies. This recipe from Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School, adds wheat germ, bran and some oatmeal to give it some texture.
Serve it toasted with lashings of salted Irish butter and some blackcurrant jam, if you can find some.
210g (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling and kneading
198g (1¾ cups0 whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons toasted wheat bran
3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
28g (¼ stick) butter
2 cups buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Sprinkle some flour on a baking sheet.
Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and rub them into the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in 1 3/4 cups of the buttermilk to make a soft dough. Add more if necessary.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead lightly for about five minutes until the dough comes together well.
Form the dough into a large round. Place it on the floured pan. Brush with a little of the remaining buttermilk. Cut a cross in the loaf about ½” deep. Bake the bread in the oven until cooked through, about 40 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when knocked on the bottom. If the bread starts to get too dark, turn the oven down to 375ºF
Place the bread on a cooling rack. If you wish a soft crust, cover the bread with a lightly dampened tea towel.
(Adapted from Darina Allen)