Irish Brown Bread

Now I know I've posted Irish Brown Bread before, but I just love it so much that I had to try another recipe for St. Patrick's Day. This recipe had oats in it and you all know how I love oats so I definitely had to give it a go. The thing that I love about brown bread is that it's so hearty and it pairs so well with cheese or butter (especially Irish butter). It's also nice that it doesn't contain any yeast and it requires minimal kneading. I've had issues with yeast in the past and still haven't seemed to feel comfortable enough to post a recipe containing yeast, but I'll get there. For now, I'll stick to my Irish brown bread. It's perfect to have with creamy butter and jam in the morning, to eat with cheese as a snack, or to soak up your stew for dinner. So versatile. Well I hope this gets you in the St. Paddy's Day spirit! I have one more recipe for you tomorrow and it's an easy one (only 3 ingredients!). So easy, I'm not sure I can call it a recipe!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, the coarser the better (stone ground works well)
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
1/2 cup finely ground old fashioned oats
1 1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar*

*You can use buttermilk instead of the whole milk and apple cider vinegar (about 1 2/3 cup) but I didn't have any on hand

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine milk and apple cider vinegar and mix. Let it sit 5-10 minutes until it thickens. Meanwhile, if your oats aren't already ground, put them in a food processor and pulse for 10-15 seconds or until they are finely ground. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Cut in the butter using either a pastry cutter or two knives (Don't judge, but I had to research how to do it with two knives.. Thank you You Tube!). Stir in ground oats. Pour buttermilk/milk and vinegar mixture into the flour. Stir the dough until it is just combined but still sticky. Place down on a well flour surfaced. Knead the dough 4 or 5 times. Pat and shape into a 7 or 8 inch disk. Place on the baking sheet. Dust the top of the dough with flour. With a large knife, cut an "X" 3/4 inch deep into the dough. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the bread is golden and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.


Source: Recipe from Kiss My Spatula