Irish Brown Bread

By MJH

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 1/2 ts salt
• 1 1/2 ts baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
• 2 tb butter

Details

Adapted from irishcentral.com

Preparation

Step 1

Mix the whole wheat flour throughly with the white flour.
Rub the butter into the flour.
Add the salt, and soda.

Make a well in the center and gradually mix in the liquid.
Stir with a wooden spoon. You may need less, or more liquid, it depends on the absorbent quality of the flour.
The dough should be soft but managable.

Knead the dough into a ball in the mixing bowl with your floured hands.

Put in on a lightly floured baking sheet and with the palm of your hand flatten out in a circle 1 1/2 inches thick.

With a knife dipped in flour, make a cross through the center of the bread so that it will easily break into quarters when it is baked.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake a further 15 minutes.

If the crust seems too hard, wrap the baked bread in a damp tea cloth. Leave the loaf standing upright until it is cool.