Brown Soda Bread was the first thing that Darina Allen demoed on the morning of my first day at the Intensive Introductory Course at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, County Cork, Ireland, and it was the first thing I cooked in the practical the next day. Seems only fitting that it would be the first thing from the course that I attempt to reprise at home.
The Allens have been encouraging Irish restauranteurs to serve this bread because it is hard to get anywhere but in in Ireland the coarsely stoneground whole wheat flour that is used to make it. I can attest to the fact that many Irish restaurants have taken their advice, as I was served it with almost every meal I had in Ireland.
I brought back from Ireland some of this Howard’s coarse stoneground whole wheat flour to make the bread:
Will be trying to find something like it here, or a way to get more from Ireland online.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for the bread:
From left to right: in large bowl, 2 cups of brown wholemeal stoneground flour and 2 cups of plain white flour; in the sieve, 1 level teaspoon baking soda, sieved to avoid clumps of baking soda in the bread, which turn green; 1 heaping teaspoon salt; 2 cups buttermilk plus 2 1/2 T cream; in the ramekins, poppy, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds; and a loaf tin brushed with sunflower oil.
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix together the flours, baking soda and salt:
Make a well in the center, pour in the buttermilk/cream mix, and using one hand like a claw, mix the buttermilk into the flour stirring in a full circle working towards the outside until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft.
When it all comes together, a matter of seconds, turn it into an oiled tin, slide a knife down the center of the loaf and sprinkle with the seeds.
Bake at 400F for 50 minutes. Remove from tin. Turn upside down and bake at 400F for an additional 10 minutes.
The cooking times are approximate, as ovens vary. When done, it should sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack. You can wrap in a clean tea towel while hot if you prefer a softer crust. I don’t.
Find some good butter from grass-fed cows worthy of the bread, such as this butter from Widowsky Dairy in Lisbon, Connecticut.
Enjoy!
