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Irish Brown Soda Bread

By Andrea Geary

Published on January 8, 2018

Time

1¼ hours, plus 1 hour cooling

Yield

Serves 8 (Makes one 8-inch loaf)

Irish Brown Soda Bread

Ingredients

2 cups (11 ounces/312 grams) whole-wheat flour 1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour 1 cup wheat bran ¼ cup wheat germ 2 teaspoons sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon table salt 2 cups buttermilk

Before You Begin

Our favorite whole-wheat flour is King Arthur Premium. To ensure the best flavor, use fresh whole-wheat flour. Wheat bran can be found at natural foods stores or in the baking aisle of your supermarket. This bread is best when served on the day it is made, but leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 8-inch round cake pan. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat bran, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.
  2. Add buttermilk and stir with rubber spatula until all flour is moistened and dough forms soft, ragged mass. Transfer dough to counter and gently shape into 6-inch round (surface will be craggy). Using serrated knife, cut ½-inch-deep cross about 5 inches long on top of loaf. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until loaf is lightly browned and center registers 185 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
  3. Invert loaf onto wire rack. Reinvert loaf and let cool for at least 1 hour. Slice and serve.

Irish Brown Soda Bread

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Time

1¼ hours, plus 1 hour cooling

Yield

Serves 8 (Makes one 8-inch loaf)

Ingredients

2 cups (11 ounces/312 grams) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
¼ cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 cups buttermilk

Ingredients

2 cups (11 ounces/312 grams) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
¼ cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 cups buttermilk

Ingredients

2 cups (11 ounces/312 grams) whole-wheat flour
1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
¼ cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
2 cups buttermilk

Why This Recipe Works

Our take on Irish brown soda bread combines a high proportion of whole-wheat flour with extra wheat germ and bran to produce a rustic loaf with nutty flavor and an appropriately coarse crumb. We balanced the strong wheat flavor with white flour and a touch of sugar. The addition of baking powder (a complete leavening system) guaranteed a nicely risen loaf, while baking soda was more valuable for the characteristic mineral-y tang that it lends to soda breads. Acidic buttermilk also contributed welcome flavor. Finally, to produce a loaf with pleasing stature, we baked the soft dough in a cake pan rather than free-form.

Before You Begin

Our favorite whole-wheat flour is King Arthur Premium. To ensure the best flavor, use fresh whole-wheat flour. Wheat bran can be found at natural foods stores or in the baking aisle of your supermarket. This bread is best when served on the day it is made, but leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 days.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 8-inch round cake pan. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat bran, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.
  2. Add buttermilk and stir with rubber spatula until all flour is moistened and dough forms soft, ragged mass. Transfer dough to counter and gently shape into 6-inch round (surface will be craggy). Using serrated knife, cut ½-inch-deep cross about 5 inches long on top of loaf. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until loaf is lightly browned and center registers 185 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
  3. Invert loaf onto wire rack. Reinvert loaf and let cool for at least 1 hour. Slice and serve.

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