This bread looks like it came from Panera and will fool people into thinking you are a master baker.

Ingredients

• 2 C. whole-wheat flour
• 2 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 TSP baking soda
• 1 TSP salt
• 2 .25 C. buttermilk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little flour.
• Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand. Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants. Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Notes

• Good with soup, makes awesome toast the next morning.  Good modified with raisins and added cinnamon for a sweet twist, or Italian seasoning and Parmesan for a savory.
• If you don’t want to buy buttermilk, you can substitute 1 cup milk + 1 TBSP white vinegar (mix together and let sit for 5 min before using) per cup butter milk (so for this recipe it would be the milk + 2.25 TBSP vinegar).  That’s the way I do it, as I never have buttermilk on hand.