Soda Bread

Soda bread should really be on the table more often. Its generally (at least in my part of the world) only made to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and its such a shame.

Soda bread is so comforting and hearty. It’s simple to make, takes few ingredients, and hardly any time at all (other than baking). It’s a rustic, dense bread that is great for soaking up liquids.

I love to serve it with a good stew or soup. And when it’s paired with butter and jam, magic happens.

I tried making this bread with several different types of flour and here’s what I found out:

All-purpose gave the best end texture. Not too dense, with a slightly fluffy chew. Cake flour was a disaster and I ended up throwing the whole loaf away because the texture was so unappealing. Bread flour worked out pretty well, but was a bit too chewy for my taste. I would imagine a whole grain flour would be quite nice with this bread, given it’s rustic nature.

Don’t have buttermilk on hand? No worries. Just pour the milk in a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then use just as you would buttermilk!

Soda Bread

 

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Serves: Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 5 tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Egg
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons Butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder & baking soda in a large bowl and whisk together.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Place the egg, buttermilk, and melted butter in well and whisk together with a fork. Stir all of the ingredients together with the fork, then use your hands to continue mixing it into a dough. Once the mixture has come together, shape into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Pat the dough down a bit so that it the round is about 2" tall. Score the top of the round with a very sharp knife.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
7. Cut into wedges and serve with butter and jam.

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