Irish Brown Bread Epicurious Recipes

IRISH BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan.
• Whisk together flours, wheat germ, salt, sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a large bowl until combined well. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center and add buttermilk, stirring until a dough forms. Gently knead on a floured surface, adding just enough more flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer dough to cake pan and flatten to fill pan. With a sharp knife, cut an X (1/2 inch deep) across top of dough (5 inches long). Bake until loaf is lightly browned and sounds hollow when bottom is tapped, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool, right side up, about 1 hour.

IRISH SODA BREAD WITH RAISINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.
• Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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.

BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease and flour a loaf pan, 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 3/4 inches, knocking out excess flour.
• In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool bread in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn loaf out onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

IRISH BROWN BREAD ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with foil; butter foil. Mix breadcrumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl. Scatter over prepared baking sheet. Bake until sugar begins to melt and crumbs are slightly darker, stirring crumbs occasionally with metal spatula to prevent sticking, about 10 minutes. Transfer breadcrumbs to bowl and cool. Break crumbs into small pieces.
• Place milk in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks and 5 tablespoons sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in milk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil). Strain into small bowl. Chill custard until cold, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Beat whipping cream in large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold custard into cream. Gently fold into breadcrumbs. Transfer to covered containers and freeze. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)
• Combine strawberries and remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Let stand until juices form, about 20 minutes. Scoop ice cream into bowls. Spoon strawberries and juices over and serve.

IRISH BROWN BREAD WITH SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Whisk together flours, oats, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Blend in 3/4 stick cold butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until dough is evenly moistened. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour to prevent sticking, 1 minute (dough should remain soft and slightly sticky). Shape dough into a ball.
• Pat out dough on a lightly floured baking sheet into a 7-inch round. Dust dough with flour and spread lightly over round with your fingertips. Cut a 4- to 5-inch X (1/2inch deep) in top of dough.
• Bake in middle of oven until bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack 2 hours before slicing.
• Make canapés with bread, softened butter, salmon, chives, and pepper to taste.

BROWN SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine meal. Stir in enough buttermilk to form soft dough. Transfer dough to prepared loaf pan. Bake until bread is dark brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack. Turn right side up and cool on rack.

BROWN BUTTER SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Stir butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until melted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir flour, oats, sugar, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk and melted browned butter over flour mixture; stir with fork until flour mixture is moistened.
• Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead gently until dough comes together, about 7 turns. Divide in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten each into 6-inch round. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 5 inches apart. Brush tops with beaten egg white. Sprinkle lightly with ground black pepper. Using small sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-deep X in top of each dough round.
• Bake breads until deep golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool breads on rack at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Baker's Wisdom:
• You'll get the most tender soda bread by kneading the dough gently and briefly, just until it comes together, so the gluten is minimally developed.