Irish Black Bread Recipes

BLACK BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve coffee in 1/4 cup warm water. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine remaining 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water and molasses. Sprinkle yeast over top, stir, and let stand 5 minutes.
• Add honey, flours, cocoa, and salt to yeast mixture. Attach bowl to stand mixer fitted the dough-hook attachment and beat on low speed 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low and beat until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 3 minutes (or knead by hand 15 to 20 minutes).
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; knead by hand, turning dough over, 4 to 5 times before shaping into a ball. Transfer dough, smooth-side up, to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Set one half aside, loosely covered with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Shape remaining half into a 9-inch rectangle, with a short side parallel to work surface. Fold top third of dough towards center, then fold bottom third of dough on top, pressing gently to seal. Turn dough 90 degrees and repeat folding process, pinching seam and sides closed. Place seam-side down and roll dough back and forth with palms of hands to form a loaf about 12 inches long with tapered ends. Repeat shaping process with remaining half of dough. Sprinkle a clean cotton cloth with cornmeal and place loaves on top, spacing about 6 inches apart. Loosely cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with a pizza stone on rack in lower third and a skillet or baking pan on lowest rack, 30 minutes. Transfer loaves to a pizza peel or unrimmed baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Brush tops with egg white. Using a lame (baker?s blade), razor blade, or serrated knife, make four diagonal cuts, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, across each loaf. Slide loaves from peel onto stone. If not using a stone, slide loaves onto a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Quickly pour boiling water into preheated skillet to create steam. Bake until loaves are dark brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottoms, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to a wire rack; let cool completely.

IRISH SODA BREAD WITH CHEDDAR AND CHIVES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to break up any lumps of flour. Add the Cheddar and chives. Stir to evenly combine the ingredients. Set aside.
• Add the buttermilk and egg to a 2-cup measuring cup. Use a fork to scramble the egg into the buttermilk.
• Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough until it comes together, about 1 minute. Flip the dough so that it is seam-side down and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to cut a 1/2-inch-thick X on the top of the dough.
• Bake until the bread is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Let cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing.

IRISH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
• Pour hot water over raisins and currants in a bowl and let soak. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl until well combined; whisk in buttermilk.
• Drain raisins and currants and pat dry with paper towels; fold into dough. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently until it holds its shape; if dough is too sticky, knead in more flour. Form into a round and place into prepared cast iron skillet. Use a sharp knife to cut a cross into the top of the loaf.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a slender knife inserted into the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.

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.

OLD-WORLD DARK BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. In a saucepan, heat 2-1/2 cups water, molasses, butter, vinegar and chocolate to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half; shape each portion into a ball. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. , In a small saucepan, combine the cornstarch and remaining water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Brush over bread.

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.