Irish Brown Bread

Tap an ingredient or step to check it off.

1. 1Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Have ready an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven or a baking sheet. Line the pot or the baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a floured surface ready to quickly knead the dough, and a bench scraper if you have one.
2. 2Step 2: Stir together in a large bowl 2 cups Irish Style (wholemeal) flour, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 4½ tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1½ teaspoons baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.
3. 3Step 3: For the 1½ cups buttermilk: pour in MOST of the buttermilk and stir it into the dry ingredients. If the mixture still seems very dry, stir in the remaining buttermilk.
4. 4Step 4: Turn out the contents of the bowl onto the floured surface—the dough will still have some dry flour visible.
5. 5Step 5: Give the dough just a few quick squeezes to pull it together. (You don't want to over-knead this bread as it will make it tough once baked.)
6. 6Step 6: Quickly shape it into a ball and place the dough into the lined pot or on the baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to slash a cross in the top of the dough, and poke a hole in each corner of the dough (to let the fairies out!)
7. 7Step 7: Place the pot or baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake the bread for another 40-45 minutes. The bread should be risen and browned, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
8. 8Step 8: Remove the bread to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing it.
9. 9Step 9: Serve slices of the bread with butter and jam. Tightly wrap leftover bread and use it within 2 to 3 days.
10. 10Step 10: You can also bake the bread as a freeform loaf on a baking sheet, instead of in a Dutch oven.
11. 11Step 11: To make Brown Bread in a loaf pan, grease the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Shape the dough into an oblong shape and add it to the pan—slash it and poke holes for the fairies to get out. Bake the bread as directed above.