HappyCook80's Recipe

Dark Irish Soda Bread

Category: Recipes

Dark Irish Soda Bread

3 cups flour, unbleached
2 cups flour, whole wheat flour
2 tbsps. brown sugar, packed
2 tsps. baking soda
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix very well. Be careful to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Pour all of the buttermilk into the bowl at once and stir, using a wooden spoon, just until a soft dough is formed. Do not try to make it smooth at this point.

Pour the contents of the bowl out onto a plastic counter and knead for a minute or so until everything comes together.

Divide the dough into two portions and shape each into a round loaf, pressing the top down a bit to just barely flatten it. Place the loaves on a large ungreased baking sheet. Use nonstick or parchment paper if you like. Sprinkle some additional white flour on top of each loaf and, using a sharp paring knife, make cross marks in slashes on the top of each.

Allow loaves to rest 10 minutes and then bake on the middle rack of oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy. Cool on racks.
Yields 2 loaves.