In response to the request for Irish Bread recipes:-
Most of the breads in Ireland are soda bread, you have to forget everything
you learnt about yeast bread to make good soda bread. They need very gentle
mixing, absolutely no kneading, gentle shaping and go in the oven
immediately. They also in Ireland mainly use extra coarse ground wholemeal
flours, which you don't find easily except in Ireland. You can ask at a
mill, or grind your own I guess. The flours have traditionally been very
soft ie low gluten.
I've experimented a lot and I have two Irish bread recipe books as well as
chatting to people about their breads when I visit Ireland. It is wonderful
how many people make their own breads daily.
Brown Soda Bread
10 oz coarse wholemeal flour
10 oz white flour
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp salt
3 oz medium oatmeal
1 pint buttermilk
Mix all the ingredients gently and shape into a round, using extra flour to
dust. Place on a greased baking tin and cut deeply with a cross. Bake
immediately at 200C for about 45 mins. Cover if getting too brown. It is
also very good with other ingredients instead of the oatmeal. I regularly
make it with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts, barley
flour,raisins, or grated cheese and herbs,
Some Irish bread recipes are yeasted, but they tend to be one mix recipes
and are quite surprising, but also very good - here's one I like-
Kinsale Bread
1/2 oz yeast
400 ml warm water
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 lb coarse wholemeaL flour
1/2 tsp salt
50 ml molasses
100 ml honey
Mix yeast with a little water and sugar and leave for a few minutes until
bubbling. Mix all the ingredients with a spoon and beat until the batter is
stiff (this is very hard work!) It should be wet and sticky - not like
your usual smooth dough. Pour into a greased bread tin and leave in a warm
place to rise for at least an hour or until doubled in size. Bake at 225C
for 45 mins. Leave in the tins for 20 mins before putting on a rack to cool.
This makes a very dense chewy good flavoured loaf.
Alison
North Wales UK