fairy-less irish soda bread

How To Make fairy-less irish soda bread

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  Step 1
  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper (or mist the baking sheet with cooking spray). Sprinkle a little oatmeal in the middle of the baking sheet, if desired, for texture.
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  Step 2
  Stir together the dry ingredients; both flours, salt, and baking soda, in a large bowl.
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  Step 3
  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
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  Step 4
  Put the butter cubes into the dry ingredients and rub between your fingers until incorporated with the dry ingredients.
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  Step 5
  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk and egg mixture, saving about an ounce for later.
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  Step 6
  Using one “claw hand,” pull the dry mixture on the bottom of the bowl over the wet mixture, spinning the bowl and making sure a shaggy dough is formed once no dry mixture is visible. DO NOT KNEAD the dough! The dough should be sticky. If dry, add a tiny bit of buttermilk.
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  Step 7
  Sprinkle flour on a clean flat counter or table, then dump out the dough. Flip the dough to have flour on both sides, just enough to allow you to form a 7 inch round loaf about 1 inch tall. NO KNEADING and handle as little as possible. Place round loaf on the oatmeal sprinkled on the baking pan.
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  Step 8
  Using a sharp knife, slash the loaf deeply in the shape of a cross (or plus sign). The Irish make a blessing while cutting “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
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  Step 9
  Next, use the point of the knife to make a venting slits in each quadrant of the round loaf “to let the fairies out.”
• Step 10
  With your fingers or a pastry brush, glaze the loaf with the leftover buttermilk mixture, or just a little buttermilk if you forgot. Top with a little more oatmeal.
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  Step 11
  BAKING DIRECTIONS WITH A TWIST! Bake the loaf at 425 degrees F for TEN MINUTES, then without opening the oven door, LOWER THE OVEN TEMPERATURE to 400 degrees F and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the loaf is browned and knocking on the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow. Cool on a rack.
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  Step 12
  Serve with good Irish butter, maybe some jam, or use for making a leftover sandwich with corned beef or ham.
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