Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Rustic, Chewy, & Surprisingly Simple - Just in Time for Fall

"The one tree in Francie's yard was neither a pine nor a hemlock. It had pointed leaves which grew along green switches which radiated from the bough and made a tree which looked like a lot of opened green umbrellas. Some people called it the Tree of Heaven. No matter where its seed fell, it made a tree which struggled to reach the sky. It grew in boarded-up lots and out of neglected rubbish heaps and it was the only tree that grew out of cement. It grew lushly, but only in the tenement 

districts."

Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I'm going to pick on a classic now. I don't usually bother reviewing them - like Les Miserables, or Anna Karenina - not because I don't enjoy them (indeed, they are some of my all-time favourite novels) but because everyone has heard of them. They have been done to death. There is nothing new I can say about them, and if you haven't read them already, I won't be able to persuade you. So no, I don't usually write about the classics. But this is a special case - I just can't make Irish soda bread without writing about an Irish novel. So here goes. 

Betty Smith.

I suppose A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is not exactly an Irish novel. It was written by an American, about life in America. But it does follow the lives of an Irish-American family, and is set in Brooklyn, just before WW1. The more obvious choice might have been Angela's Ashes or maybe something by James Joyce. But, for whatever reason, this is the book that came to mind. 

Most people reading this have probably read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I believe it might be a children's novel, but it is not so childish that adults cannot read and enjoy it. It is a book that for whatever reason has stuck with me for many years. I think I read it in in elementary school and for some reason I have not read it since, but I remember so much of it so clearly. The characters stuck with me. Especially Francie Nolan, the little girl who wanted nothing more than to write, and to be loved as much as her better-looking brother. 

Without giving too much away, the story is set in Brooklyn just after the turn of the century. It follows the lives of a young, newly married, impoverished couple by the names of Johnny and Katie Nolan. Johnny is a colourful, musical, creative young man, and Katie is a proud, practical, no-nonsens woman. Katie adores Johnny, but as he proves himself unable to cope with the stresses of every day life - eventually succumbing to the drink, and unable to hold a job - Katie grows weary of being the bread winner. They have two children together (eventually three) and most of the story follows their eldest - a daughter named Francie. 

Francie is a bright young girl, intelligent and creative. She adores her father and yearns to go to school. She is met, however, with much criticism and prejudice. As we watch her grow up we see her come to terms with the social and economic climate of her time, and the attitude of the rich towards the poor families from the tenements. Her father, useless though he may be at providing for his family, seeks to nurture Francie's precocious nature and devises a way that she can attend a school that would be otherwise above her station. For the most part, she excels. 

Meanwhile, her younger brother Neeley is the apple of her mother's eye. Although Katie is by no means a cruel woman, she undoubtedly favours her son over Francie. There are many instances where, even as a child, I cringed at the hurt that Francie must have felt at always being second best - least loved. This, as well as gender issues, are truly brought to light when Francie is invited to attend high school and is told that there is not enough money for both her and her brother to attend. Even though Neeley does not wish to attend, Katie forces him to go in place of his sister. She wishes above all else that her son receive an education, and leaves Francie to educate herself from home while she works to help support the family.  

The novel is really about Francie growing up; How she develops and comes to terms with her lot in life, both as a woman and a lower-income child that society has cast aside. There is much that could be interpreted as social commentary in these pages, but mostly it is an anecdotal history of how this young woman experiences the world. As she matures, and faces greater grief and adversity, Francie's tone of narration shifts, as well as her performance in school and language arts. Her writing becomes more intense, less traditional. Despite being criticised by adults and teachers for the sudden shift, Francie decides to abandon her previous works. In fact, she piles them up and burns them. The newer pieces - more morose, though they may be - are a more accurate depiction of her life, and how she thinks and feels about the world. In an act of quiet courage, she decides to keep the honest works.

This book isn't the cheeriest - in fact, it is often down right depressing, especially as we watch Francie's innocence slip away, and are allowed to peek insights into Katie's character. Having been written (I believe) for a younger audience, it is light and flowing - easy to read. The characters and the plot are intricate and many faceted. In other words, definitely worth a read. 

Now, on to what this post is really about. The other Irish. The bread.

As those who know me can attest, I'm not really much of a baker. You can't taste things as you bake like you can when cooking. You can't just dip a finger into your concoction to sample the flavour, see what else needs to go in - although that's not for lack of trying, in my case. Seeing as I hate to follow recipes this doesn't sit well with me. That's why I usually leave the baking up to my sister (who bakes for a living) or my friend Taylor, who bakes me delicious cupcakes to ease my pain (whatever it might be at the time, I'm not picky). There is one thing I can bake, however. And that is Irish soda bread. 

For those who are not familiar (shame on you) Irish soda bread is an agonizingly simple loaf, usually comprising of only three or four ingredients. Traditionally served throughout the UK and Ireland as a sort of 'peasant bread', it has become a comfort food staple for many people worldwide. This is because it is not only inexpensive as hell to make (and takes less than forty minutes, prep/bake/clean time included!) but is nutty, chewy, and stick-to-your-ribs filling. In other words, the ideal accompaniment to a hearty fall or winter soup. 

I used a fairly basic recipe for this loaf, and one that I got from working in a little cafe in North Vancouver as a teenager. The baker would only turn out a handful of Irish soda bread loaves per day, and often people would arrive first thing in the morning to purchase or secure one for later in the day. I never gave them much thought - just lumpy, coarse-looking bread, I thought - until one of the chefs forced a thickly sliced, toasted piece slathered with butter into my hand. It was love at first bite. Just... yes.

I tweaked the recipe for mine a little bit - for starters, I used whole wheat flour as well as white flour, because I think it gives it a nice texture and makes it slightly healthier. I also add one secret ingredient of my own (which is probably not secret at all, but I don't always see it listed on recipes for this bread). I mean, of course, brown sugar. Lovely, crunchy, earthy brown sugar. Can't beat it. 

So here it is - the super simple, butter-ready, dense, filling, costs-pennies-to-make bread for just about any soup you can think of. Great for breakfast as well!

You will need....

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbs, heaping, brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly grease and flour a pot or pan (can be a baking sheet, casserole dish, cast iron pot, cake pan... your choice).

In a large bowl, combine ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. If the dough is too sticky still, add another handful of flour. 

Lightly dust a clean countertop with flour. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead lightly, no more than a few seconds really. Form into a nice round ball, and place in the baking vessel of your choice. Using a sharp knife, cut a large X in the top of the dough. 

Like so.

Bake uncovered for about thirty minutes, or until dough is crunchy and firm. It should darken, but not burn on the bottom or the edges. 

Allow to cool slightly then slice and serve. Great plain, toasted with butter, or drizzled with honey.