Saint Patrick's Day
Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 10:59AM Time to bake bread.
I've been planning for several weeks, but I begin my preparations in earnest today. Today I will bake my bread and shop for the ingrediants I need for all my Saint Patrick's Day cooking.
IRISH BROWN BREAD
Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes cooling)
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
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.
Cooks' notes:
• Bread can be served the day it is made, but it slices more easily if kept, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 1 day.
• Leftover bread keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 4 days.
Makes 1 (9-inch) round loaf.
Gourmet
Here's a link to my recipe for Irish Soda Bread and last year's menu. I'll be posting this year's menu along with a shopping list later this afternoon if I have time. If not, tomorrow.
(Rebecca, did you think I wasn't going to participate in Irish Month? You knew better, didn't you? )
Reader Comments (1)
Mmmm - that sounds good. I watched a show on Ireland and they were showing all these wonderful Irish breads. And now I have a recipe to try- thanks Kim!