Our mutual love for soda bread started in different places at differ times. Brittany fell for it years ago on a trip to Ireland where every meal is served with warm Irish soda bread and butter. Matt’s love blossomed out of desperation when he forgot to pick up bread for a dinner party and was able to make a fresh loaf of bread with no yeast in less than 45 mins!
Today, we’ve learned how to customize our bread for any occasion! It’s the perfect bread for fall or winter with its crusty outer crumb and dense but buttery middle. A great companion to soup or, with a little modification, perfect for morning coffee or after dinner snack. The beautiful thing about soda bread is that it's best when served warm with butter. Irish Soda Bread is so simple and so comforting - things we love at Wheat!
Irish Soda Bread
10 mins prep I Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
4 and cups all-purpose flour (extra flour for kneading)
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
optional: 3/4 cup of raisins and 3/4 cups of walnuts
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a seasoned cast iron skillet or dutch oven. Set aside.
Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers. Work the dough until into coarse crumbs. (Add your raisins and walnuts now if you are making a sweeter version). Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough it is too stiff to stir. With floured hands on a lightly floured surface, work the dough into a 9 inch round loaf. Knead the dough for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet/skillet. Using a very sharp knife, score an X into the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45 minutes. Loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top.
Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or toasted with desired toppings/spreads. ENJOY!
Helpful Tips
If you do not have buttermilk, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to milk. Whisk together and let it sit for 5 mins before using in your recipe.
We like to add 1 additional tablespoon of sugar when adding the raisins and walnuts for a slightly sweeter bread
SOAK your raisins in brandy, rum, or whisky before adding to your recipe! Soaked raisins make the difference!!!
We usually make two loafs at once - one savory and one sweet! The additional ingredients you add to create your own savory or sweet loaf is endless and so easy! Add in spinach, diced ham, and cheese for a wonderful savory breakfast bread!
The bread will keep for about 2 days on the counter and about a week in the fridge.
Cut and toast the bread and use as toasted crackers for a charcuterie board!
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