Lunch: Downey's Soda Bread

Baguette-like loaves make this Irish classic easy to slice, providing perfectly sized portions.

Ingredients

5 cups whole-wheat flour (preferably stone-ground)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
2 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk at room temperature
2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
Accompaniments: crème fraîche; jam

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 °F with rack in middle.
Blend flours, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and butter in a large bowl with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. 3Stir in buttermilk and eggs until a smooth dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 pieces. Form each piece into a 16-inch-long log and arrange, evenly spaced, on a lightly floured baking sheet. Generously sprinkle with flour and cut 3 diagonal shallow slashes on each log with a very sharp knife.
Bake 30 minutes, then reduce oven to 375 °F and continue to bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Transfer loaves to a rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

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