Irish Soda Bread

on
Monday, October 29, 2007
Perfect for St. Patrick's Day!  A quick bread that's simple and delicious to make.  




Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a large sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut the butter into small pieces, so it will be easier to work with.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. With your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With a wooden spoon, stir in the buttermilk just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough comes together.
Empty the dough onto the counter and knead lightly about 8 times, until smooth but a little sticky. If it sticks to the counter, use a bench scraper to gather it together-try to avoid adding extra flour.

Roll the dough into a 6-inch round. Place it on the prepared baking sheet, and make a 1/2-inch deep slash from one side of the dough to the other, then make a second slash across it to form a cross.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool the bread on a wire rack, covered with a towel.

8 comments on "Irish Soda Bread"
  1. I really like irish soda bread, though it is a little bland, I love the crunchiness of the outside without the chewiness.

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  2. Hmmm, doesn't sound like a whole lot of leavening. I would have thought it to need a lot more. But see that's why I don't create recipes which require baking. I would have dough everywhere, I guess.

    Sounds good though. I love bread of all kinds. But, I'm with you. My favorites are yeast breads.

    Love,
    Julie

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  3. It looks fantastic. The texture is so rustic, I love that. Like you said your probably just used to yeasty breads. Me too actually, but I would probably like the Irish soda bread.

    I saw your last post. Pretty daring. I thought I was daring, putting prune puree in mine. You are very creative!!

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  4. I don't think I've actually ever had soda bread. I'm excited to see what recipes from the UK you make!!

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  5. Anonymous10/30/2007

    Oh god, did you really position your bread in front of your window so we could see the trees in the background? I feel so pathetic, I barely will move the 6-lb bag of pretzels out of the way when I take photos.

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  6. Val- It is a little bland. I love chewy breads.

    Julie- There doesn't seem to be much leavening does there? I didn't mess around with the recipe though. I'm not messing with Rose.
    I really want to make a yeast bread. I found a recipe for that candy you were talking about.

    Annie- Thanks! It really is easy, so it's worth a try. You might try baking it in a cast iron skillet or pot.
    Mmm...prune brownies. I like it. Secretly evil. You could give them to the people you don't like.

    Deb- I never had it either.
    Hopefully I wont get made fun of by someone from the UK.

    Amy- 6 lb. bag of pretzels! WOW. You guys really like them. Me too.
    No, I took that outside, because the lighting was better.

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  7. Anonymous10/31/2007

    Outside makes you even fancier.

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  8. I am not fancy! My blog is ghetto compared to most.
    I'm just trying to entertain you and bring you beautiful pictures.

    ReplyDelete