Author Notes
I set out to make Merrill's mother's Irish Brown Soda Bread (http://food52.com/recipes...) and ended up changing everything but the butter and baking soda. Turns out the basic recipe holds up pretty well to improvisation. —mawhorts
Ingredients
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3/4 cup
whole wheat flour, plus more for kneading and baking
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3/4 cup
all purpose flour
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3/4 cup
whole spelt flour
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1/2 cup
old fashioned rolled grains, or simply oats (I used a combination of rye, barley, oats, and wheat.)
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1/4 cup
ground flaxseed
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2 tablespoons
oat bran (optional)
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1 1/2 teaspoons
baking soda
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1 teaspoon
kosher salt
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4 tablespoons
cold, unsalted butter, cut into bits (If you use salted butter, as I did, reduce the salt to between 1/2 and 3/4 teaspoon.)
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1 to 1 1/3 cups
kefir (or buttermilk)
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1 tablespoon
molasses (optional)
Directions
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Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle a baking sheet lightly with flour and oat bran (optional).
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In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
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Add the butter and toss to coat in the flour. Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (You can also do this in the food processor if you'd like.)
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Gradually add the kefir and molasses and stir or pulse just until the dough comes together (you may not need all the kefir).
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On a floured surface, knead the dough gently for about a minute until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to the baking sheet. Pat gently into a 7-inch round and sprinkle the top evenly with about a tablespoon of flour; with your fingertips, gently spread the flour evenly over the top of the round. Using a very sharp knife, cut a shallow "X" in the top of the loaf. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the loaf is brown, and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.
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