An authentic Irish soda bread enriched with dulse, a red seaweed typical of the Irish coast. Golden crust, dense crumb, and a slightly tangy flavor from buttermilk.
Ingredients
- 500 g T55 wheat flour
- 5 tsp baking soda
- 5 tsp fine sea salt
- 350 ml buttermilk (cultured milk)
- 20 g dried dulse seaweed
- 20 g unsalted butter (for brushing, optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan) or 220°C (conventional). Place a baking sheet inside to heat.
- Rehydrate the dulse: place it in a bowl of cold water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain, gently squeeze it between your hands to remove excess water, then finely chop it.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the chopped dulse and stir with a spoon.
- Make a well in the center. Pour in the buttermilk (or the prepared homemade buttermilk). Stir quickly with a wooden spoon, working from the center outward, until the dough comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball. Do not overwork it: stop as soon as no flour remains visible.
- Lightly flour the work surface. Turn out the dough, dust it with a little flour, and knead it gently 4 to 5 times, just enough to give it a round shape. Do not knead any further: the dough should remain irregular.
- Shape the dough into a ball about 20 cm in diameter. Place it on a sheet of parchment paper or directly on the preheated hot baking sheet (for a crispier crust).
- With a very sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the top, about 1 cm deep, running from one edge to the other. This allows the bread to split and bake evenly.
- Bake immediately for 30 to 35 minutes. The bread is done when the crust is well browned and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. The internal temperature should reach 90°C.
- Optional: when the bread comes out of the oven, brush the top with melted butter for a softer, shinier crust.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 742.4 kcal
- Protein
- 9.17 g
- Carbohydrate
- 62.66 g
- Fat
- 50.84 g
- Fibre
- 2.77 g
- Calcium
- 19.76 mg
- Iron
- 0.83 mg
- Magnesium
- 22.57 mg
