Known as wheaten bread in some parts of Ireland, this version of soda bread incorporates whole-wheat flour for a heartier crumb. Buttermilk adds a pleasant tang.
Bread can be served the day it is made, but it slices more easily if kept, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 1 day.
Leftover bread keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 4 days.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hr (includes cooling)
Yield
Makes 1 (9-inch) round loaf
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan.
Step 2
Whisk together flours, wheat germ, salt, sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a large bowl until combined well. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center and add buttermilk, stirring until a dough forms. Gently knead on a floured surface, adding just enough more flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer dough to cake pan and flatten to fill pan. With a sharp knife, cut an X (1/2 inch deep) across top of dough (5 inches long). Bake until loaf is lightly browned and sounds hollow when bottom is tapped, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool, right side up, about 1 hour.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
79 Easy Baking Recipes for Cookies, Cakes, Breads, and More
These easy baking recipes can fit seamlessly into even the busiest week.113 of Our Best Bread Recipes
Savory or sweet, 3-day project or 1-hour quick loaf, whatever kind of bread you want to bake, it's here.11 Great Irish Breads (We Promise They're Not All Soda Bread)
If there's something that the Irish have perfected—besides great whiskey and the quintessential stout—it's bread.
