I originally posted this in October 2009, and wanted to re-post it in honor of St. Patrick's Day coming up. This soda bread is so easy to make and goes so perfect with Corned Beef and Cabbage :)![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cf720IazuXJAUWQ-5_Yj7Op3j8flKko4MQLYRjyUkcbP1L8BkJyZgAgNo6xX7zzzp7haYQ4snndHmtSwdkBnIldRV42ZYFO9Du_FT0GOnn0A_ef5MZQUnzyeyb11aI7QwmTtHPjJO48/s400/IMG_5259.JPG)
This bread is super easy to throw together, and it's wonderful dipped in stew, or with eggs at breakfast (or eaten plain...). I first made soda bread last St. Patrick's Day to have with our traditional St. Patties Day corned beef and cabbage. I found an awesome
recipe from Diane Duane of
EuropeanCuisines.com, complete with very detailed instructions and how-to videos. My advice is to watch the videos, even if you don't think you need to. My first try at the bread was a flop. Then I went back and watched the videos. "Oh, that's what I did wrong..." Somethings you just need to see. My second try was a complete success, thanks to her well-done video tutorials. Thanks, Diane!
Basic Irish Soda Bread
Printable Recipe
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3-1 1/2 cups buttermilk
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WUB3oq1UunHbsx7XI0ml3Jufwjj16-JqmmPc6bpCHqRj6wgmcVuNMVL5wxUPt1D4v7z6rK8jRo-J6IkwfYnvTIJwbfjQ0bSJQczJha1fj_q9z-b3kVOlJijMuMkBbhDcnBQR2jAKrCg/s400/IMG_5249.JPG)
1. Heat your oven to 400, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the buttermilk and whisk it quickly with a fork. (Start with 1 1/3 cup of the buttermilk, and add the rest if it looks like you need it.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfr45rWd2S3vIxbD-5kWVTpd-R_cizEMOovDHiyZoZuMl8C0BDWerB5mqYfAd15wrcrb8MeWdZMbGP6g_4QfGMdfI9Zy49mNxA1xD_rFUHcmSM8ictVHk-tsT5OnnZCCYBUi3vEmQgjoY/s400/IMG_5250.JPG)
The dough should look like this; "raggy" is what Diane calls it. She says, "You are trying to achieve a dough that is raggy and very soft, but the lumps and rags of it should look dryish and "floury", while still being extremely squishy if you poke them."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6fCNbXK4LyawkYix08EzDzYQciXYuP8-UDT8pWPKbSitP8mZv2iy1mV4IJyzxemVLiZLkgfjeT2pJmPd0gb_eSfYGW6yAiFPnR6Mc_LbuDFnJHb2ZwsjDJOvR1nAd3l2SIyGY8aEJ30/s400/IMG_5253.JPG)
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gather the dough and knead it a few times, just enough to get it into a ball that holds together (a minute a most). Use a very sharp knife to make criss-crossing cuts in the top; the cuts should go about half-way through. The cuts let the bread "flower" as it cooks.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRowr0z43flOPCECp1kHbkryvTIFHi1Elj6Fqxcb-5q1JvbeLAG2zXoS0L5Ohr-HVHCfksPkyjdfHkY1k6DdnZbPY7Yg6WfC8GfszOAEs9JBqd6f6a99vNZqXHx3fwkLmNKfTI5tVMd0c/s400/IMG_5255.JPG)
5. Cook the bread for 35-40 minutes, or until it's nicely browned, and sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1Lfp7YKxIGF9MU3NPAy4GCOXaLnO2s9mzvSBr3Ky4zg46R7ooicnuBOMF3nQFG19QSC6TN3bRxp2iz-nLZa6AAZDcVftgYzwlFvABspd-5PYnPI0p_1zLRS8Uu-ugtHDBBfBOMyXeCM/s400/IMG_5256.JPG)
6. To get a softer crust, wrap the hot bread in a clean dish towel while it cools (sometimes I help it along by putting the towel-wrapped bread in a plastic bag).
I absolutely recommend you go and read all of Diane's post about her soda bread (and watch the videos). She has a ton of really great information that will help you get the bread just right.
This looks absolutely lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks, ABOMush :) I can't make it very often because I have a hard time cutting myself off at a reasonable portion ;)
ReplyDeleteI found your site via tastespotting & made this tonight. It turned out pretty well, although I added sugar & a little more salt. Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteyou are a top notch baker!!!!
ReplyDelete