This was a staple during the week spent in Ballenskellig. Sheila had to improvise and experiment with unfamiliar equipment and ingredients. But the result was always hearty and handy - we had it with chowder, took it on hikes to have with cheese, toasted it. It sustained us. (Along with occasional Guinness and a random potato.)
Here's Sheila at work.
And here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour (I use King Arthur's - if I'm not in Ireland.)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk ( or milk soured with 1/2 tsp vinegar if you don't have
buttermilk)
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease a cast iron skillet or can use a cookie
sheet.
In large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and pour
in butter and about 1 cup buttermilk. Mix quickly but gently with hands - adding
as much of the remaining buttermilk as you need to make a dough that is soft
but sort of holds together. (It will be a bit sticky - so will need to flour
your hands to shape the dough.)
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and just sort of form it into a disk about 2 inches high. You might have to knead it once or twice - but handle it as little as possible.
Put it on the pan and slash a cross in the top. (Roman, Orthodox, or St Bridget's
- any will work.)
Bake for 45 - 50 min. It will be lightly browned. Supposedly, if bread is done,
tapping on the bottom of the bread will make a hollow sound - but I can't really
hear that.