Monday, March 12, 2012

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

This recipe comes from my mother. I'm not sure where she got it. She hasn't been making it my entire life, but I remember it showing up in the dinner rotation around the time I was in junior high. Soda bread gets its name from the use of baking soda rather than yeast as a leavening agent. Lots of times raisins are also added to this bread, but I personally don't like raisins when they are cooked in things, so if mom doesn't like it... it doesn't go in :) This bread is dense and chewy on the inside yet crispy and crunchy on the outside. Here's the how-to...


Ingredients:
  • 2½ cups flour, divided
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 1½ Tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (I've made it with regular milk before, and it turned out fine.)

Directions:

1. Measure out 2 cups of flour. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients. The dough will be super sticky.

2. Take the other half cup of flour and start adding it a little at a time as you knead the dough. I've done it by hand, but this time I used the dough hook on my stand mixer, and it worked great. Keep adding flour and knead until the dough forms a nice ball. It takes a while, but it's worth it!

3. With floured hands, form the dough into a slightly flatted ball and place on a greased baking sheet.


Using a very sharp knife, cut a cross into the top of the dough, about 3/4" deep.



4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes. This bread is kind of doughy and chewy, but you have to be careful because the center ends up way too doughy if you don't cook it long enough. I especially like to eat this bread warm with butter on it.


This is a fun recipe to pull out for St. Patrick's Day this weekend. Enjoy!




P.S. There hasn't been a whole lot of sewing going on around here lately. I just haven't been into it and really haven't had much time for it. But... this weekend I sewed my project for this month's Point of View, and I am absolutely in love with it. In the top five favorite things I've ever made. But you'll have to wait a couple of weeks to see it :)

I'm linking up...

Skip To My LouI'm topsy turvy tuesdays

13 comments:

KJ@letsgoflyakite said...

I plan to make soda bread this weekend, I will definitely try your mum's recipe! I only recently started making bread again about a month ago - after a long break from it (I had changed my diet)- so glad to be baking again. Have a great day!

Peggy Meckling-Baker said...

I've always wanted to try making this traditional Irish bread. Thanks for posting this!

Amy at Ameroonie Designs said...

This looks great! I may have to try it this weekend. :)
xoxo

Unknown said...

Sounds yummy! I'll have to give it a try when I'm feeling more domestic :)

Unknown said...

Totally with you on the raisins. No thanks man!

The Irish bread looks delish!

Darcy said...

No raisins?! Hallelujah! My kind of cooking! ;-)

Chris said...

Hi Gwen, just stopping by to say how delightful your blog is. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
http://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.com/

chris said...

Looks yummy. I'm excited to see the project you're referred to!

Dwell on Joy said...

This looks so good! Come share at my link party, please! http://www.dwellonjoy.com/2012/03/dwell-on-friday-eight.html

Justine said...

Stopping by from Made by You Monday! http://queenofsavings.com

malia said...

how cool... i am anti baked raisin myself! xoxo

Hele said...

I hope to find the ingredients here in Spain!

Kristin @ Yellow Bliss Road said...

I've always been scared to make bread because of having to deal with the yeast and the rising and all that LOL but this would be much easier!!

Thanks for sharing at Simply Klassic Sunday!

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