Secret Recipe Club: Irish Brown Bread

 

It's the third Monday of the month again. That means it's time for Secret Recipe Club. You all know what it's about by now. Every month, a group of awesome bloggers make another member's recipe (in secret, of course) and reveal it on a given day. The third Monday of the month belongs to group C. I love participating with this great group of people, seeing everyone's recipes and occasionally remembering one of my old recipes I may have forgotten.

 

This week, I was assigned Nicole over at PicNic. Nicole is a New Zealand native who is studying for her PhD in Biochemistry. She has a great assortment of recipes in every category. I was really tempted by her Stuffed Mushrooms or her Seafood Gumbo (though this didn't look like any gumbo I'd ever seen...I assumed it was just a difference in culture). I would have gone with her ANZAC biscuits if I didn't already have an amazing recipe given to me by an old boyfriend's mother, but I ended up choosing her recipe for Irish Brown Bread instead. It's a family recipe that is hearty, delicious, and goes perfectly with anything. Plus, tomorrow is St. Patrick's day. I had to post something like this.

 

This bread was incredibly easy, delicious and perfect for a weeknight dinner because it doesn't involve yeast. I made it with a wonderful Honeyed Chicken that was just screaming for a crusty brown bread. It tastes like Irish Soda Bread (a good or bad thing, depending who you ask) but I enjoyed it. I had some problems with the dough being too wet and I had to add quite a bit more flour (but perhaps there's a difference between New Zealand and US cup measurements)

 

Today is also my first day of my new job. I'm writing this two weeks before the posting date, but I'm already looking forward to reading all of your comments when I get home.

 

Thanks so much Nicole! I'll be sure to come back to your blog again for more great recipes.

 

Irish Brown Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup AP flour (I used about 1/4 cup more to kneading)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Mix together flours, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk,
2. Stir ingredients until combined. Turn out dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth (should still be a little shaggy, but should hold it's shape better. I only needed a minute or so)
3. Place the loaf on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
4. Let cool completely before slicing. Serve with a stew or for breakfast with butter, honey or jam

 

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