Narsai David Recipe: Royal Hibernian Irish Soda Bread

(KCBS) - St. Patrick's Day is coming up. Time to bake some Irish soda bread. KCBS Food and Wine Editor Narsai David offers this recipe.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups white bread flour or all purpose flour
2 TBS sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter at room temperature
1 egg
1 2/3 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Blend all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small chips and mix into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Add the egg and buttermilk and mix until the sides of the bowl come clean. If kneading with a machine with a dough hook, it should take about 2 minutes. If kneading by hand, 5-6 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and shape it into a round loaf. Cut a cross 1/2" deep through the entire surface of the loaf with a razor or a bread knife.

Bake the bread on a rack positioned just below the center of the oven. After 45-50 minutes, or when it is well browned, remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Narsai David is the KCBS Food and Wine Editor. He has been a successful restaurateur, chef, TV host, and columnist in the Bay Area spanning four decades.

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