Dark Irish Soda Bread Recipes

IRISH GUINNESS BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the beer, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. With your fingers, stir the batter from the middle of the bowl to the outside, until it's well mixed. It will look more like cake batter than bread dough.
• Brush a 9 x 5 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan with melted butter. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with oats. Put the bread in the oven, immediately turn the temperature down to 400 degrees, and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn the bread out onto a baking rack and allow to cool completely. Slice and serve with salted butter.

IRISH BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Mix all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
• Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture forms fine crumbs.
• Stir whole-wheat flour and quick-cooking oatmeal into the butter mixture.
• Gently stir yogurt into the oatmeal mixture. If mixture is too dry to hold together, add 1 teaspoon milk at a time, just until dough holds together; it should not be sticky.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead gently about 5 times to form a ball.
• Place the dough in the center of the prepared baking sheet; cut a large 'X' in the top of the loaf.
• Bake in preheated oven until well browned, about 40 minutes; transfer to a rack to cool. Bread can be served warm or cold.

IRISH DARK SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease two loaf pans.
• Sift all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda and baking powder together into a large bowl.
• Add brown sugar and stir well to incorporate, being very careful to break up any lumps of brown sugar.
• Add buttermilk and stir well.
• Divide the dough between the two prepared loaf pans.
• Bake for about 45 minutes or until brown and crunchy.
• Cool on wire racks.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Add about 1 1/4 cups of the buttermilk to the flour mixture, working it into a shaggy dough with clean hands.
• If the dough seems too dry, add more buttermilk until a sticky dough is formed.
• Knead the dough a few times (being careful not to overwork it), then transfer it to a baking sheet and pat it to a thickness of about 1 1/2-inches.
• Score the dough in a criss-cross pattern with a floured knife, and puncture each of the 4 quarters with the tip of the knife.
• Bake the soda bread for 15 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn the oven temperature down to 400 degrees and bake for another 25 minutes.
• Turn the bread upside down and continue to bake at 400 degrees for another 5 minutes.
• Tap the loaf with your fingertips- it should make a hollow sound and be golden brown and crusty.

MUM'S TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD RECIPE (BROWN BREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (215°C).
• Mix together the flours, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles bread crumbs.
• In a separate jug, whisk the egg and buttermilk together (see note on how to make Buttermilk below)
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid, 3/4 at once, into the flour mixture.
• Using an open hand bring the flour and liquid together to a loose dough. The dough should be quite soft, but not too sticky. You will know then if it needs more of the liquids. (Flour in different places reacts differently to added liquid).
• Turn onto a floured work surface and gently bring the dough together into a round, about 1 1/2 inches (4cm) thick (8 inches by 8 inches).
• Place on a baking sheet dusted well with flour.
• Score the bread by blessing it with a deep cross on top. Poke a hole in the 4 corners of the bread to release the fairies and stop them from cursing your beautiful bread.
• Glaze the bread with the leftover bit of buttermilk in your jug and dust the top with rolled oats.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 400°F (200°C) and bake for 30 minutes more. When done, the loaf will sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool.

DARK IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• 1 Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees
• 2 Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with softened butter, then sprinkle lightly with whole-wheat flour; tap to discard any excess flour
• 3 Combine both flours, brown sugar, caraway seeds, baking soda and salt in the large bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer
• 4 Mix to combine on low speed; add the melted butter
• 5 Combine the molasses and the buttermilk, then add to the mixer bowl, on low speed; beat for a minute or two, until a soft dough forms
• 6 Gather the dough into a ball and roll it around in the palms of your hands to smooth it; the dough will not be perfectly smooth
• 7 Form into an 8-inch long oval and place on the prepared baking sheet
• 8 Use a smooth-edge knife to cut a slash about 5 inches long and about 1 inch deep along the length of the loaf
• 9 Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bread feels firm and crisp and you can see that the bottom has browned when you lift it carefully
• 10 Transfer to a wire rack to cool