Martha's Soda Bread with Rye and Currants

Name: Martha's Soda Bread with Rye and Currants
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups whole milk; 0.333 cup apple-cider vinegar; 2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting; 1 cup rye flour; 0.5 cup unprocessed wheat bran, such as Bob's Red Mill; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1.25 teaspoons baking soda; 3 tablespoons caraway seeds; 1 cup currants or golden raisins, or a combination; Salted butter, for serving

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By

Martha Stewart Test Kitchen

Updated on March 18, 2020

Prep Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 25 mins

Yield:

1 loaf

This St. Patrick's day, try a slice or two of this easy homemade soda bread for breakfast or serve it alongside Martha's Quick-Brined Corned Beef and Vegetables. This recipe balances the traditional flavors you'd expect, while also bringing something new—rye flour and wheat bran. Earthy, slightly sour, and a touch nutty, the combination of these two ingredients play perfectly off the classic soda bread flavors of currants and caraway seeds.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whole milk
⅓ cup apple-cider vinegar
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup rye flour
½ cup unprocessed wheat bran, such as Bob's Red Mill
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup currants or golden raisins, or a combination
Salted butter, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine milk and vinegar in a bowl; let stand until curdled and thickened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together both flours, wheat bran, sugar, salt, and baking soda; stir in caraway seeds and currants.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk mixture and stir together, starting in center and working outward, until a sticky dough forms (do not overmix). Transfer to a generously floured work surface and, with floured hands, form a cohesive ball. (Do not overwork dough.)
Pat ball into a 7-inch-wide domed round and transfer to a baking sheet. Cut a 1-inch-deep "X" with a floured knife across top of round. Using a wooden skewer, poke holes at 1-inch intervals to bottom of dough (about 28 holes total).
Bake soda bread until cooked through and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving with butter. Bread can be made 2 days ahead and stored, whole, at room temperature, in a paper bag or wrapped in parchment.

Thomas Loof

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, March 2020