Soda bread
Soda bread is totally worth the hype. But don’t just make this one day of the year. I’m convinced that if you make this once, you’ll realize it’s worth making again and again!
Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
– 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/3 cup sugar
– 1 tsp baking powder
– 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
– 1 tsp salt
– 5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes and kept cold
– 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
– 1 large egg
– 2 tbsp orange zest (about 1 large orange)
– 1 cup dried cherries, slightly chopped if large pieces (no sugar added)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix for 30 seconds until evenly combined.
Add the cubed butter and mix on medium-low speed until the butter is worked into the flour mixture with pieces the size of a pea or smaller. Add the orange zest and dried cherries to the dry ingredients.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. With the mixer running on a medium speed, pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined with a few dry crumbs.
Knead the dough slightly to make sure all the ingredients are combined. Form into a round boule, shaped on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make a large X slash across the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until deep golden brown on the top and bottom, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
