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Irish brown soda bread
Arán donn: wholemeal and buttermilk loaf with no yeast
IrishBrown soda bread is on every Irish table, from the Aran Islands to Wexford, sliced thickly at breakfast and served beside soup or smoked salmon in pubs. It is raised with bicarbonate of soda and sour buttermilk instead of yeast, so it is mixed and in the oven in ten minutes, with a nutty, coarse crumb and a hard crust. Chef's tip: mix with a light hand only until it comes together; kneading makes soda bread tough and heavy.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 12 ½ oz coarse wholemeal flour
- 5 ½ oz plain flour
- 2 tbsp porridge oats
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅞ oz cold butter
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tbsp black treacleopt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and dust a baking tray with flour.
5 minStep 2: Mix the 12 ½ oz coarse wholemeal flour, 5 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tbsp porridge oats, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl, lifting with your fingers to air it, then rub in the ⅞ oz cold butter.
3 minStep 3: Stir the 1 tbsp black treacle into the 2 cups buttermilk, make a well and pour it in. Mix with a fork until it becomes a soft, wet dough.
2 minStep 4: Turn onto a floured worktop and shape gently into a round about 5 cm high; don't knead. Put it on the tray and cut a deep cross on top with a floured knife.
2 minStep 5: Bake for 40–45 minutes, until well browned and it sounds hollow when tapped underneath. A common mistake is pulling it early, which leaves a sticky middle.
45 minStep 6: Wrap in a clean tea towel while it cools to keep the crust soft, and slice when cold.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does irish brown soda bread take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of bicarbonate of soda?
- Baking powder, three times the amount (the bake may taste slightly different).
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