Whole Wheat & Flaxseed Irish Buttermilk Bread Recipe

Irish buttermilk bread is a soda-style quick bread: no yeast, no kneading to speak of, and no rising time. This version swaps more than half of the white flour for whole wheat flour and adds ground flaxseed, which gives the round loaf a nutty flavor, a speckled brown crumb and a crisp crust.

The lift comes from baking soda reacting with two acids, the buttermilk and a measure of cream of tartar. Between them they neutralize most of the soda, so the loaf rises well without the soapy aftertaste that excess soda can leave. A little butter rubbed into the flour and a small amount of sugar keep the whole grain crumb tender.

The main rule is a light hand. Once the buttermilk goes in, the dough is mixed just until it holds together, shaped quickly and put straight into a hot oven, because the soda starts working the moment it gets wet. Serve the bread in thick wedges with butter or alongside a bowl of bok choy lentil soup.

Whole Wheat & Flaxseed Irish Buttermilk Bread

A round, cross-cut soda-style loaf made with whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, butter and buttermilk, leavened with baking soda and cream of tartar and baked at 400°F.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Cooling time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 1 round loaf (10 to 12 wedges)

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Irish

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups (226 g) whole wheat flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for shaping
• 1/2 cup (52 g) ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 1/2 cups cold buttermilk plus 2 to 4 tablespoons more as needed

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, ground flaxseed, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk thoroughly so that no pockets of soda remain; press out any lumps with the back of a spoon.
3. Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour with the fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
4. Make a well in the center and pour in the 1 1/2 cups buttermilk. Stir with a fork or one hand, working from the center outward, just until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. If dry flour remains in the bowl, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 4 tablespoons.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With floured hands, fold it over on itself 4 or 5 times only, just enough to bring it together, and shape it into a round about 7 inches across and 1 1/2 inches high. Do not knead it like a yeast dough.
6. Move the round to the baking sheet or skillet. With a sharp floured knife, cut a cross in the top about 1/2 inch deep, reaching almost to the edges.
7. Bake right away for 40 to 45 minutes, until the loaf is well browned, sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom and an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 200 to 205°F. If the top darkens too quickly, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 10 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting. For a softer crust, wrap the hot loaf in a clean kitchen towel while it cools.

Notes

Dairy-free option: stir 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar into 1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy or almond) and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes before using it in place of the buttermilk; use plain non-dairy milk for any extra liquid. Replace the butter with cold non-dairy buttery sticks or solid coconut oil.

No added sugar: leave out the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; no substitute is needed. Nothing else changes; the loaf will be slightly less tender and will brown a little less. The buttermilk still contains its natural milk sugar.

Use ground flaxseed, not whole seeds, in the dough. For a seeded crust, brush the shaped loaf with a little buttermilk and sprinkle 1 tablespoon whole flaxseed on top before cutting the cross.

Whole wheat flours vary in how much liquid they absorb, which is why the buttermilk is given as a range. The dough should be soft and a little sticky; a dry, stiff dough bakes into a heavy loaf.

Soda bread is best the day it is baked. Keep leftovers wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days and toast the slices, or freeze the loaf, whole or in wedges, for up to 2 months.