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–+ servings
whole wheat irish soda bread
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5 from 1 vote

Irish Brown Bread

A whole wheat Irish soda bread that has a crusty exterior and soft center, made with raisins and orange zest!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: bread
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories: 3342kcal
Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all purpose flour
  • 2 cups (226 grams) whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) butter softened, cut into tablespoons
  • 1 cup (240 grams, 8.5 oz) buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup (150 g) raisins
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest or 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • cookie sheet
  • silicone baking mat
  • spatula
  • cast iron skillet

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 375oF degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Or you can bake this in a 10- inch cast iron skillet (which will cause the bread to spread less.) Or an 8 or 9 inch cake pan would also work.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Add in the butter and stir to combine.  Add the buttermilk and egg and stir to combine. 
  • Add in the raisins and either orange zest or caraway seeds if you are using them. You may need to stir this in by hand with a spatula. 
  • Turn the dough onto  your cookie sheet and shape into a ball. Pat down slightly into about a 8-9 inch circle. Brush the top with more buttermilk or a sprinkle of sugar. Using a serrated knife, cut an "X" across the top of the bread. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature of 190oF. Cool on a cooling rack. 

Notes

  • Soften your butter. Make sure your butter is softened so that it can be easily incorporated into the dough. You can let the butter sit on the counter for 3o minutes to an hour, cubed, for it to soften quickly. Here are 3 more ways to soften your butter quickly. 
  • Careful Measuring. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Too much flour will result in a dense bread. I recommend first by stirring the flour before you start to measure. Then scoop the flour into your cup with a spoon and level off with a flat edge.
  • Do not overmix. Because this is essentially a quick bread, meaning it's leavened with baking soda and baking powder too much mixing can result in too much gluten being formed. And too much gluten will result in an overly chewy bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 3342kcal | Carbohydrates: 545g | Protein: 77g | Fat: 108g | Saturated Fat: 63g | Cholesterol: 414mg | Sodium: 2913mg | Fiber: 39g | Sugar: 150g