Irish Soda Bread

I loved how easy this recipe was to come together. The hearty texture was delicious with butter or salty cheese.

I adapted the recipe from David Lebovitz.

3 c. white flour
1 1/4 c. wheat germ
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/3 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. molasses
1 1/2 tsp. sugar

Combine the flour, germ, soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until it's in small pieces, I did this part in the food processor because I hate cutting butter in to pastry. 

Stir in the buttermilk, molasses, and sugar. Knead just until it's a smooth, uniform dough. Pat in to a circle and cut a deep X shape in the top. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for about 30 minutes until the bread is cooked through. The easiest way for me to check this was check the dough in the center of the bread towards the base for firmness. Once that is firm lift it up and check the bottom, knock on it to see if it sounds hollow. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting.