Irish Wheat Bread Recipes

TRADITIONAL IRISH WHEATEN BREAD (BROWN SODA BREAD) RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 F (200 C or Gas Mark 6).

PERFECTLY MOIST IRISH WHEATEN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Prepare a shallow baking pan with cooking spray.
• Sift together the bread flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl. Cut the margarine into the flour mixture until pieces are nearly indistinguishable. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the oil and buttermilk. Stir with a spatula until dry mixture is completely moistened. Move the dough to a lightly-floured surface. Lightly knead the dough for no more than 1 minute. Place the dough into the prepared pan; pat down and around to form a round loaf. Cut a cross into the top of the loaf with your finger. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon buttermilk; sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over the top of the loaf.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C); rotate pan and bake another 30 minutes.
• Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

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.

100% WHOLE WHEAT IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• In a big mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
• Cut in butter until it reaches a coarse meal consistency. (I started with two knives, then finished the process with my fingers.).
• Add raisins.
• Combine liquids separately. Add liquids to dry ingredients.
• Mix until a soft dough forms. At some point it will become hard to stir it, and it will be better to use your hands. Kneading the dough is the best way to combine all the ingredients completely -- knead it gently until it is smooth (about 3 minutes). You can knead it right there in the mixing bowl.
• Shape the dough into two balls, and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball slightly and cut an X about 1/4" deep in the top of each loaf.
• Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

IRISH WHOLE WHEAT SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or an 8- or 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
• Sift whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together until well combined. Add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough that's firm enough to hold its shape.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is smooth and velvety, 2 to 3 minutes. It will seem very crumbly for a while until everything gets incorporated.
• Form into a round loaf and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Cut a cross on the top of the loaf with a very sharp, floured knife. (The cross is a characteristic of soda bread.)
• Bake in the preheated oven until loaf is browned and sounds hollow when you tap on it, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

IRISH WHEAT BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease two 8-inch-diameter cake pans. Stir first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Stir in currants. Whisk buttermilk, butter and egg in small bowl. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Knead mixture briefly in bowl until dough comes together. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Divide dough into 2 pieces. Shape each into round loaf. Transfer to prepared pans. Using sharp knife, cut an x on surface of each loaf, cutting about 1/2 inch deep. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Turn out loaves onto racks; cool.(Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic; store at room temperature.)