Irish Soda Bread

From EatingWell: March/April 1996, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004) — Subscribe Now!

Fragrant homemade whole-wheat bread that is ready in less than 1 hour. The recipe is easily doubled.

1 small loaf, 8 slices

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup currants
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
3/4 cup buttermilk, plus additional for brushing

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a pie pan with cooking spray.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in currants and caraway seeds. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Gradually pour in the buttermilk, stirring with a fork until just combined. (Do not overmix.)
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times. Form into a ball, flatten slightly and place in the prepared pie pan. Brush the top with buttermilk and dust with flour. With a sharp knife, cut a 1/2-inch-deep X into the top of the loaf.
Bake the loaf until it is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Nutrition

Per slice: 131 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 327 mg sodium; 104 mg potassium.

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 fruit