Irish Whole Wheat Soda Bread

From http://inthekitchenwithkath.com

(Adapted from the recipe in Beard on Bread, by James Beard)

3 cups (456 g. of Bob's Red brand) whole wheat flour

1 cup (120 g. of King Arthur's Unbleached) all-purpose flour

1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt, or 1 teaspoon table salt

1 level teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1 ½ – 1¾ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375˚.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir well with a fork.

Add 1½ cups buttermilk and stir well. You want a soft dough, like a biscuit dough. It it’s too dry, add an additional ¼ cup of buttermilk.

Knead the dough on a floured board for 2 or 3 minutes until it is a smooth ball. (A dough scraper can be very handy if the dough starts to stick. Just scrape it up and add a bit more flour to the board.)

Put the dough on a buttered baking sheet (or on a buttered piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet).

With a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top of the dough.

Back for 40 – 45 minutes until the bottom sounds “hollow” when tapped. You can also use an instant read thermometer—the bread should register about 190˚ in the center.

Let the bread cool on a rack before slicing.