Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 2 C all-purpose flour
- 1½ C whole-wheat flour
- ½ C toasted wheat germ (because we’re fancy like that)
- 3 T sugar (don’t skimp, you deserve it)
- 1½ t salt
- 1 t baking powder
- 1 p baking soda
- 1¾ C buttermilk (room temperature (not cold, we’re trying to make bread, not ice cubes))
- 3 T unsalted butter (melted and divided (because butter makes everything better))
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Adjust your oven rack to the lower-middle position (because you don’t want your bread to be too high and try to be fancy) and crank that oven up to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper—this is where the magic happens.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, toasted wheat germ, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Try to get it all nicely blended so that no one bite has an overwhelming punch of baking soda.
- Prepare the wet ingredients: In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and 2 T of melted butter. If you're like me, you’re already thinking about how delicious this is going to be.
- Combine wet and dry: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones with a rubber spatula—don’t overthink it. Just mix until it’s all just coming together into a dough that looks like it could do some serious work.
- Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Now, get in there with your hands and knead it about 8 times. Don’t overdo it, this isn’t an arm workout—just enough to bring the dough together.
- Shape and score: Pat the dough into a 7-inch round shape (think “slightly bigger than a dinner plate”) and transfer it to your prepared baking sheet. Then, using a sharp knife, make a ¼-inch deep cross about 5 inches long on top. This is for looks, but also helps the bread cook evenly—trust me, it’s not just for decoration.
- Bake: Slide that beauty into the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through to make sure it cooks evenly. You’ll know it’s done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Pro tip: when it’s done, it should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, like you’re tapping into bread greatness.
- Butter it up: As soon as it comes out of the oven, brush the top with the remaining 1 T of melted butter. This step is where you really shine. You just made bread, and now you're making it shine like a golden star.
- Cool down: Let the loaf cool on a wire rack. Try not to rip a piece off immediately, though I totally understand if you do. The crust is calling your name.
Notes
Now, slice it up and enjoy! You just made soda bread that’s way more impressive than you thought, and it’s practically begging for some butter or jam.