Pat O'Brien
Favorite Irish Brown Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
• About 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients; add enough buttermilk to form a soft dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured board; knead lightly. Form dough into a circle; place in greased 9 inch baking pan or on greased baking sheet. The dough should be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches high. Cut a cross 1/2 inch deep over the top with a floured knife. This helps bread cook more evenly.
3. Bake in preheated 400 degrees F oven for 40 minutes, or until loaf sounds hollow when rapped lightly on the base with the knuckles.
4. Remove bread from pan; cool on a wire cake rack. Bread should not be cut until it firms up.
5. Toast it for breakfast or tea; spread lavishly with butter.

Attribution

Eloise O'Brien (his wife)