In honor of St. Patrick's Day, try this traditional staple in Irish cuisine known for its hearty texture and nutty flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450F.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the whole wheat and all purpose flours, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk. With a spoon, or your hands, mix everything together until a sticky dough forms. You can add a small splash of extra liquid if your dough seems too dry.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it about 4-5 times until it is a bit smoother and less sticky.
Roughly shape the dough into a fat disk about 8 inches across. With a sharp knife, cut two slashes, about 1/4" deep, into the top of the loaf in the shape of an X. Transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400F and bake for 15-20 more minutes. The bread should be puffed up, golden brown, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom when done.
At nine years old, Ben Gaffney asked if he could work alongside his father, a chef, at Congress Rotisserie in New Haven. The elder Gaffney put the boy to work washing dishes for two years, in the hope that it would discourage his interest in the restaurant business.
But a calling is a calling. Ben Gaffney has spent his life since then pursuing the wonders of food, bringing Middlefield along for the ride as chef at Lyman Orchards since 2017.
