Irish Wholemeal Biscuits

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love scones and biscuits and the happy confluence of Frugal Foodie Friday and St. Patrick's day give me the opportunity to feature this very old, very inexpensive recipe for Irish wholemeal scones. The wholemeal flour that is used in Ireland is more flavorful and nutty tasting than American whole wheat flour. I generally use stoneground whole wheat flour as a substitute, but truth be told, supermarket whole wheat flour works nearly as well. If you don't mind the shipping cost, you can purchase Irish wholemeal flour on the King Arthur site which you can find here. There is no denying that the Irish flour will make a biscuit with more substance and greater flavor, but sometimes we have to make do with what is available. These are very easy to make. They require no special equipment and you'll find you hands are a great stand-in for mixers and spoons. As with all biscuit recipes, it is important that you not overwork the dough as you combine ingredients. If you like your biscuits to have height, it is best to roll the dough to about an inch in thickness. These do not rise much and what you see going into the oven is pretty close to what you'll see when the biscuits come out. This is a nice recipe to have if you are planning a themed meal for St. Patrick's day. They may not be the best biscuits you've ever eaten, but they are ones that came out of the Irish farm kitchens that are remembered so fondly at this time of year. Here's how they are made.

Irish Wholemeal Biscuits...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by generations of Irish grandmothers

Ingredients:
1 cup wholemeal/wholewheat flour *
1 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons cold butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Place wholemeal flour in a mixing bowl. Sift in plain flour, salt and baking powder. Using hands mix well.
3) Rub in butter, using fingers, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in center and add enough milk to make a soft dough. Stir, once again using your hands.
4) Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead. Roll out to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into wedges or cut into circles with a biscuit cutter. Place on a baking sheet that has been dusted with flour. Bake for about 20 minutes, and serve warm if possible with soups, stews or preserves. Yield: 12 biscuits.

The Real McCoy - Wholemeal Irish Soda Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I know St. Patrick's Day is still weeks away, but I wanted to make sure that those of you who are tempted to try a real soda bread, have plenty of time to test recipes before selecting the one you'll finally use. I know it's hard to believe, but this is what a true Irish soda bread should look like. The addition of raisins, sugar and caraway is an English embellishment that produces a bread that should, more correctly, be called Spotted Dog. Irish peasants lived, for the most part, on a diet of potatoes, grains and milk. Bread appeared on their tables only during the summer, or "meal months", when potato stores had been exhausted. The bread was typically made in a lidded cast iron pot called a bastible, but in Northern Ireland it was shaped into a disk, called a farl, and scored with a cross to "let the devil out" as the bread rose and cooked. Our bread is devilishly good. This simple loaf is delicious when made with Irish wholemeal flour. Unfortunately, our (U.S.) whole wheat flour lacks the flavor of its Irish cousin and we have to fiddle and fudge to make a loaf that is anywhere near as flavorful. The good news is that it can be done by using a combination of flours, and boosting their flavor with oatmeal and wheat germ. The recipe I'm passing on to you was developed by Jeanne Lemlin and she has come up with a combination of grains that result in a typically Irish loaf. You'll find it to be wonderful, if you can clear your head and palate of long held notions of what a soda bread should be. There is nothing here but the flavor of the grain. One bite, and a slow and deliberate chew will convince you that nothing else is necessary. I love this and make it often. When we have guests, I serve it with Irish butter or a whipped cream cheese and a small platter of thinly sliced smoked salmon. I have, however, come to enjoy it completely unadorned. Plain or fancy, the bread should sit for 2 hours before slicing. It crumbles easily in the early stages of cooling, so it really needs this time to firm up. I really hope you'll try this bread. It is really wonderful. Like all soda breads, it stales quickly and is best enjoyed the day it is made. Here's the recipe.

Wholemeal Irish Soda Bread ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy Of Jeanne Lemlin

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional for sprinkling
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1-1/3 cups well-shaken buttermilk or plain yogurt

Directions:
1) Move rack to center of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
2) Whisk together flours, oats, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and toss to coat with flour. Then blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until dough is evenly moistened, but still lumpy.
3) Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour to prevent sticking, 1 minute (dough should remain soft and slightly sticky). Shape dough into a ball. Pat out dough on a lightly floured baking sheet into a 7-inch round. Dust dough with flour and spread lightly over round with your fingertips. Cut a 4- to 5-inch X (1/2 inch deep) in top of dough.
4) Bake in middle of oven until bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, 35 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack 2 hours before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Chocolate Soda Bread - Real Epicurean
Browned Butter Soda Bread - Vanilla Sugar
Authentic Irish Soda Bread - Confessions of a Kitchen Witch
Oat Soda Bread - 101 Cookbooks
Irish Soda Bread - The English Kitchen
Brown Bread - David Lebovitz
Soda Bread - Farmersgirl Kitchen
Irish Soda Bread Scones - Brown Eyed Baker
Irish Soda Bread Scones - Smitten Kitchen
Caraway Soda Bread - Simply Recipes
Oats and Honey Irish Soda Bread with Raisins - Baking Bites