Irish Soda Bread
Soda bread is Ireland’s quick bread. Made to eat fresh with soup, stew, or with jam, it’s craggy shell and soft interior are flavourful and satisfying.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s the day that is no longer a celebration of the arrival of Christianity to Ireland and the commemoration of the life of St. Patrick, but rather, it is a day of parades, large crowds, heavy drinking, dancing, singing, silly hats and camaraderie. What to do then when we are living in bizzaro world? Nothing is quite right, there’s a general sense of low grade panic, the parade is cancelled, gathering, embracing, dancing and singing in close proximity is forbidden.
Well, you can bake! Bake something quick, easy and Irish. Then, make yourself an Irish Coffee, or crack a Guiness, and listen to a trad sesh. Or, a quieter option, make yourself a tea (Barry’s if you have it) and curl up with Irish Fairy Tales by Keats.
Wash your hands (for 30 seconds), check on your neighbours (by calling or texting), buy toilet paper like you care about others in your community, and know that this covid-19 mess will be over soon if we can work together by staring apart.
Sláinte!
(Pronounced slawn-cha, it’s Irish for good health, or cheers!)
Below are a few picture of our recent trips to Ireland.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour, plus more for shaping
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, chopped
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup wheat germ
Optional add-ins*
1 large egg
About 1 3/4 cups buttermilk**
**Buttermilk
A buttermilk substitute can be made by filling a 1 cup measuring cup with milk (preferably whole fat), then removing 1 tablespoon of milk (put it into your tea!) and replacing it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Make as much as needed for any recipe by following the same steps and ratios.
*Although not traditional, some people add sunflower seeds, flax, raisins, poppy seeds or chia seeds to their loaves. If adding any extras try up to a heaping 1/3 of a cup.
Irish Soda Bread
Servings 1 large round loaf Time just under an hour
Recipe adapted from Noreen Kinney
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F, with the rack positioned in the centre. Prepare a baking sheet or shallow bakeproof pan by greasing with vegetable oil.
In a large bowl, stir the flours together. Add the butter pieces and use your fingers to rub together until there are no discernable butter pieces left in the mixture. Stir in the baking soda, salt, sugar, wheat germ, and any optional add-ins.
In a measuring cup, beat the egg and add enough buttermilk to make 2 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until the dough becomes mostly one wet mass, you may not need the whole 2 cups.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface sprinkled with whole wheat flour. Dust the dough with more of the flour. Form the dough into a rustic circular loaf about 2 inches (5 cm) thick and 7 inches (18 cm) across. Move the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Make two indents to form an x across the top of the loaf. Use a bench scraper or knife.
Bake the bread for about 40 minutes. It should be well browned. Give it a rap on the bottom to check for doneness, it should sound hollow.
Cool the loaf on a wire rack.
Break or cut into quarters along the indents. Slice each quarter with a serrated knife. Serve at room temperature or warm, with butter.
Wrap and keep for 3 days. Or freeze, well wrapped, for several weeks.