Irish Wheaten Bread

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This recipe is similar to old-fashioned Irish soda bread. Submitted by Priscilla.

INGREDIENTS
3 cups coarse wheaten flour
2/3 cup unbleached bread flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, diced
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

PREPARATION
1. One hour before baking, put the oven rack on the second shelf from the bottom of the oven and place a baking stone on the rack. Place a small pan for water on the floor of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 °F.

2. Combine the flours, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it in with you fingers until the mixture resembles a light meal. Gradually stir in the buttermilk adding just enough to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.

3. Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and knead lightly a few times to form the dough into a ball. Shape it into a uniform loaf about 8 inches in diameter. Press the dough lightly so that it measures about 1 inch thick.

4. Sprinkle a peel with cornmeal. Place the dough on the peel. Sprinkle the top of the dough with some coarse flour then cut the surface of the dough in a cross pattern so that the bread bakes into 4 neat "farls".

5. Slide the bread onto the stone. Pour about 1 cup of hot water into the pan on the bottom of the oven. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until the loaf is well browned.

6. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.

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