Ireland

Irish Soda Bread


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Irish Soda Bread


Background

Irish soda bread is a fairly new recipe dating back to the early 1800's.  It was cheap, quick to make, and ingredients readily available.  As other countries used hard wheats and yeast (and taking longer to make with two or more risings required), the Irish had soft wheat which worked poorly with yeast but responded well to soda.  Irish soda bread could be cooked using a griddle or cast iron vs. the yeast breads needing an oven. This bread is so versatile, it can be cooked over a fire, using coals, on a griddle or in an oven.  

Cutting the cross on the round loaves may have been for superstition - lettin ghte faery spirits out of the bread, protecting the bread with a cross, or just because it allows the interior of the loaf to cook all the way through.  


According to the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread: 

"All recipes for traditional soda bread contain flour, baking soda, sour milk (buttermilk) and salt.  That's it!!!"

Recipe

The pictures here use whole wheat flour.  This creates a heavy but still tasty bread.  For a light version use white pastry flour (soft wheat).  For a medium weight use half whole wheat pastry flour and half white or half white pastry flour for "brown" soda bread.  Soda bread is so versatile you can use just about any combination, just be sure to avoid self-rising, cake or bread flour.  Be careful to only knead the bread 3-4 times, just enough to work with, otherwise the dough will become tough, the resulting bread even heavier. 

Prep:  15 min

Cook:  45 min

Total:  1 hr

Servings:  4

Oven:  425

INGREDIENTS 

4 cups flour (ideally pastry flour)

1t Baking Soda

1t Salt

1 3/4 cups Buttermilk


for a little saltier and higher rise bread increase baking soda and salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons each




TO MAKE:

  • Preheat oven to 425°
  • Combine dry ingredients in bowl.
  • Create a hollow in the center and add buttermilk.  Mix with fork or hand until just combined.
  • Move dough to a floured surface and knead with hand 3-4 times.  Be careful not to overwork or the dough will become tough.
  • Shape into a circle and cut a cross in the dough.  This helps the center of the bread to cook.
  • Place in oven and cook for 35-45 minutes until skewer inserted in the middles comes out clean or tapping on the bottom of the bread sounds hollow.  If bread is getting too brown on the outside tent with aluminum.
  • Let sit on wire rack until cooled.  If eaten while warm, make sure to let sit at least ten minutes or the center will be gummy. 

Step-by-Step

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine dry ingredients in bowl, form a hollow, then add milk.

Using a fork or hands, mix the milk and dry ingredients until just combined.

Move to floured surface and kneed 3-4 times.  Be careful not to overwork the dough.

Shape into a circle then cut a cross into the dough.  This will help the center of the bread cook

Bake 35-45 minutes or until tapping the bottom of the bread has a hollow sound.

Let cool on a wire rack.  Cooling is important to ensure the center is fully cooked.  

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