Irish Brown Bread

Posted on 18 March 2022 by patty

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add the butter and work in with your fingers until fully incorporated and there are no lumps larger than a pea.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Combine the egg and buttermilk and pour into the well. Mix gently with a wooden spoon until most of the buttermilk is incorporated. If the dough is very, very dry you can add a little more buttermilk.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead about 15-20 times until combined. Form the dough into a large round ball. Place the dough onto the parchment lined sheet pan and flatten the top a bit.
Using a sharp knife or a single edge razor blade cut a 1/2-3/4″ deep X shape across the top of the loaf. Brush the top of the loaf with buttermilk. Bake for 40-50 minutes until it is golden brown.
To check if it’s done, turn the loaf over and tap the bottom. It should have a hollow sound. You can also use a probe thermometer to check for an internal temperature of about 190°F.

I use King Arthur whole wheat flour and unbleached all purpose flour.

Posted on 1 February 2022 by patty

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Make the meat sauce: Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until they are softened, 3 – 4 minutes. Add in the ground sausage and cook until the sausage is no longer pink. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Drain any excess grease and add in the marinara sauce. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer while you complete the next steps.
Make the cheese mixture: In a large bowl combine the egg, ricotta, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Make the breadcrumb topping: In a small skillet melt the butter on medium heat. Continue cooking and stirring the butter until it becomes a golden brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the Panko, garlic powder, and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain thoroughly. Add the pasta to the meat sauce and stir to combine evenly.
Assemble: Add half of the pasta mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Spread the ricotta cheese mixture evenly on top. Spread the remaining pasta on top. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs evenly on top.
Bake: Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 – 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Posted on 28 January 2022 by patty

1 lb. sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chopped SPINACH (add during last minute of cooking)
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
Salt and pepper, to taste
For serving: grated Parmesan; chopped fresh parsley; baguette, garlic bread, or breadsticks

Brown sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
In the same pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to the plate with the sausage.
Drain off almost all of the grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat just until soft (about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Sprinkle flour over top, and cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the chicken broth, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (there’s so much flavor there!). Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Gently boil for about 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in cooked sausage and bacon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes. Add cream. Cook and stir for about 5 more minutes. Do not boil. Last minute add in spinach. Ladle into individual bowls, garnish with Parmesan or parsley, and serve!

Once you add the cream, do not let the soup boil. If you boil the cream, the soup may curdle.
For a lighter broth, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream. It will not have quite the same rich
For a low carb option, replace the potatoes with cauliflower florets.
If available, try substituting pancetta for the bacon.