Brown Butter Soda Bread Food

THE BEST IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with a large sheet of parchment paper, pressing it into the edges of the pan and leaving an overhang on 2 sides (the extra parchment will help you unmold the loaf later).
• Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter cubes to the flour mixture and toss to combine. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to cut or rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the currants and caraway seeds.
• Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk mixture into the center. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the mixture until it starts to come together in a shaggy mass.
• Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Turn the dough mixture out onto the floured surface and knead a few times to bring it together. Shape it into a domed disk. Place the dough into the prepared cake pan and cut a cross about 1/2-inch deep into the surface of the dough with a sharp knife. Bake until the top is puffed and lightly browned and a cake tester comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and use the parchment overhang to lift the bread from the pan. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with good Irish butter.

EASY SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix together the flour, salt and bicarb in a bowl. And if you'd like rosemary bread, add the chopped rosemary too.
• Mix together the milk and lemon juice in a jug, and wait for a minute as it magically turns into buttermilk. Then stir in the honey, and simply pour it into the flour mixture. Stir it with a knife for a minute until the whole thing comes together into a sticky dough.
• Tip onto a floured work surface and shape it into a ball.
• Put the ball on a floured baking tray and, using a sharp knife, make a deep cross on top.
• Put in the oven and bake for 40 mins.
• Cool on a wire rack until warm, then slice and serve.

SMOKED SALMON ON IRISH SODA BREAD WITH CHIVE BUTTER

Steps:

• Slice the soda bread into thin slices, about 1/4-inch, and cut each slice into a rough 2-inch square until you have 16 pieces. Wrap the remaining bread in plastic wrap and store in a cool dry place. Mix the butter and chives together and spread a small amount onto each square. Top with a small fold of salmon and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the oatmeal into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Pour into a bowl and add the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, raisins and caraway seeds. Stir well to combine. Pour the buttermilk in and stir quickly until well combined. Shape the dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and put onto a baking sheet. Place into the top half of the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly brown on top. When tapped, the bread will give off a firm, hollow sound. Remove from the oven and let cool.

BROWN-BUTTER BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
• Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan until the milk solids are deep golden brown and the butter smells toasted, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.
• Stir the brown butter so that any milk solids that have fallen to the bottom are distributed equally throughout the butter. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the brown butter for the glaze. Whisk together the remaining brown butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl, then fold in the mashed bananas.
• Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just combined (it's OK if there are some lumps). Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, and bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, and let cool completely in the pan on a rack.
• Once the bread has cooled, heat the reserved brown butter in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave until melted, then whisk in the confectioners' sugar. Let the glaze sit at room temperature until it stiffens up a little but is still pourable, about 5 minutes. Pour and spread the brown butter over the bread. Let set. The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
• Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn't ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
• Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices - or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.

BROWN BUTTER SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F Stir butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until melted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir flour, oats, sugar, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk and melted browned butter over flour mixture; stir with fork until flour mixture is moistened.
• Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead gently until dough comes together, about 7 turns. Divide in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten each into 6-inch round. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 5 inches apart. Brush tops with beaten egg white. Sprinkle lightly with ground black pepper. Using small sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-deep X in top of each dough round.
• Bake breads until deep golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool breads on rack at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• A Tip: You'll get the most tender soda bread by kneading the dough gently and briefly, just until it comes together, like biscuit dough, so the gluten is minimally developed.