by merrill
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Photo by Sarah Shatz
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for kneading and baking Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup whole wheat flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon kosher salt Ask a question about this ingredient
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into bits Ask a question about this ingredient
1 to 1 1/3 cup buttermilk Ask a question about this ingredient
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle a baking sheet lightly with flour.
Ask a question about this stepIn a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the butter and toss to coat in the flour. Use your fingers or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (You can also do this in the food processor if you'd like.) Gradually add the buttermilk and stir or pulse just until the dough comes together (you may not need all the buttermilk).
Ask a question about this stepOn a floured surface, knead the dough gently for about a minute until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to the baking sheet. Pat gently into a 7-inch round and sprinkle the top evenly with about a tablespoon of flour; with your fingertips, gently spread the flour evenly over the top of the round. Using a very sharp knife, cut a shallow "X" in the top of the loaf. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the loaf is brown, and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.
Ask a question about this stepGreat taste but more like a giant scone. Perhaps I did something wrong.
Great, earthy soda bread - so easy in the processor. Only thing I did differently is I had an almost empty bottle of molasses I wanted to use up, so I added about 2 tablespoons along with the buttermilk - not enough to make it sweet, just rounded the flavor slightly and made it a tiny bit darker.
A very fast and very tasty recipe. The food processor works well. Next time I'll make two loaves in a row (can't do two in our food processor). Only complaint with the recipe is that it doesn't make enough!
As close to Ireland as you can get. I have missed what our family called "wheaten bread" since moving from Ireland 20+ years ago. I make this at least twice a week. Toasted with butter and marmalade and a cup of tea........heavenly
You know, I think it's time I made a loaf of this...
Made this today, only a little late for St. Patrick's Day, and it is delicious! Easy, healthy, and tasty...what more could one want?
May daughter and I have now made this a second time and she has asked if we can make it every weekend so she has it to eat all week! We actually make two balls of dough (one for each of us) and they bake nicely in about 20 - 25 minutes. We also added 1T of sugar which is only just barely noticeable. Love the wheat germ flavor!
Joanne Chang is the pastry chef/owner of Flour Bakery+Cafe and chef/co-owner of Myers+Chang in Boston.
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You can easily make this bread by hand, but I decided to shave a few minutes off the assembly by using the food processor.
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Toasted wheat germ is the secret ingredient -- nothing beats its nutty taste.
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I kept the cubed butter in the fridge right up until it was time to cut it into the dry ingredients.
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When you pulse or cut the flour and butter together, you're looking for a pebbly texture.
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I added the buttermilk in a stream with the machine on, stopping right when the dough started to come together.
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A gentle knead to smooth out any shaggy edges.
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And then I formed it into a smooth ball, tucking the edges under and pinching them together to seal.
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Gently pat the dough into a 7-inch round and put it on a floured baking sheet.
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Wetting a sharp knife will give you a perfect "X" that doesn't catch.
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30 minutes, and you've got a loaf perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
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Have made this twice now. So easy and so delicious! Thanks, Merrill for sharing this. It's hard to wait the 2 hours before slicing but worth it.