mornings at my house...

    
     This Soda Bread with Dark Chocolate and Candied Orange Peel is the perfect mid-morning snack with a cup of tea or coffee.  I've been nibbling on slices along with an espresso con panna... Really good!

     NOTE:  There is one suggestion I will make.  The recipe calls for stirring 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk along with an egg, into the flour mixture.  My dough was extremely wet.  Wet enough to add a good amount of flour to the dough during the short knead.  I will suggest mixing the egg with 1 cup buttermilk and incorporating that first.  If your dough seems dry, add the remaining 1/4 cup.  My bread was still delicious, but my mound of dough spread out during the baking a little more than I had desired. 

 Soda Bread with Dark Chocolate and Candied Orange Peel

adapted recipe, BON APPETIT | APRIL 2005   
• 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (I roll my candied orange peels in sugar, so I deducted 1 tablespoon from this recipe.  Add an additional 1 tablespoon sugar if your orange peels are not coated in sugar)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
• 6 ounces candied orange peel, diced
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, divided (see NOTE above)
• 1 large egg

1.  PREHEAT OVEN to 350˚F. 
2.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the paper.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add the butter.  Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in the chocolate and orange peel.  In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup of the buttermilk with the egg to blend.  Add this to the dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated.  If the dough seems dry, add up to 1/4 cup additional buttermilk -- see my NOTE above. 
3.  Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently just until the dough comes together, about 5 times.
4.  Form the dough into a 6 1/2-inch round, about 2 1/2-inches high.  Transfer to the baking sheet.
5.  Bake the bread on the middle rack of the preheated oven until browned and firm when pressed, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. 
6.  Transfer bread to a rack to cool completely, at least 3 hours.
Store bread, wrapped in foil, at room temperature. Bread is best eaten within 2 days.

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