Brown Soda Bread
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS For a brown soda bread with good wheaty flavor but without a gummy, dense texture,
we started by finding the right ratio of whole-wheat to all-purpose flour. Toasted
wheat germ played up the sweet, nutty flavor of the whole wheat. To keep the texture
light, we needed plenty of leavening; baking soda alone gave the bread a soapy taste,
so we used a combination of baking soda and baking powder. Just a touch of sugar and
a few tablespoons of butter kept our bread wholesome but not “health foody,” and brushing
a portion of the melted butter on the loaf after baking gave it a rich crust. See
the sidebars that follow the recipe.
MAKES 1 LOAF
Toasted wheat germ is sold in jars at well-stocked supermarkets.
|
2 |
cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour |
|
1½ |
cups (8¼ ounces) whole-wheat flour |
|
½ |
cup toasted wheat germ |
|
3 |
tablespoons sugar |
|
1½ |
teaspoons salt |
|
1 |
teaspoon baking powder |
|
1 |
teaspoon baking soda |
|
1¾ |
cups buttermilk |
|
3 |
tablespoons unsalted butter, melted |
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in 2-cup liquid measuring cup.
2. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until dough just comes together. Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter and knead until cohesive mass forms, about 8 turns. Pat dough into 7-inch round and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Using sharp serrated knife, make ¼-inch-deep cross about 5 inches long on top of loaf. Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean and loaf registers 195 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.
3. Remove bread from oven. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Transfer loaf to wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour. Serve.