Irish Soda Bread

Yesterday morning I open my refrigerator to sour milk and one egg to feed my family breakfast. This is just depressing. Plus I hate the idea of throwing out (what was once good) organic milk. So I searched for something to make that would satisfy four hungry kids and found a wonderful plain Irish Soda Bread.

It was easy, fast, and actually delish. The crunchy crust was a real favorite and we all enjoyed the texture of the bread. And what a way to use up sour milk!

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a mixer with a bread hook mix:
3 cups flour (I used a mix of some whole wheat and all purpose white)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Then add 1 1/2 cups sour milk (I'm not talking about curdled milk) and mix with the dough hook until it pulls from the sides. If too wet, you may need to add more flour, up to another cup. If too dry add more milk, up to another 1/4 cup.

Cut the top in an X to allow it to grow and bake in bread pan or free form in a circle. Bake 30 minutes until the crust forms and tapping it sounds hollow - you can cheat and peak if you're not sure.

We enjoyed with almond butter, jam, and cheese.

I have decided to get a good quality vita-mix and start milling my own flours fresh. There is a lot of discussion on pre-milled flours losing nutrients and not being good for us. I'm also going to start researching sprouting my own wheat berries and making sprouted breads. So stay tuned for that information - I can't wait to learn about it. If you have been doing this or know how, share the love!