Irish Soda Bread

Each year on St Patrick’s Day, I make Irish soda bread. I love baking. Sadly, I am just not very good at it. I lack the precision and the patience to become a real pastry chef but with this recipe I always have a hot loaf of bread at hand that I can serve with soups or stews. I promise you any novice can make this bread. You need to eat it hot out of the oven as it tends to dry out throughout the day and it doesn’t keep well.

Irish Soda Bread

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 1/4 cup flour you can use ½ white & ½ whole wheat flour if you wish)
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• ½ stick unsalted butter
• 2 cups buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.

Cut in butter until coarse (like pie dough).

Add buttermilk and mix until dough comes together.

Knead on floured surface to be sure ingredients are combined — it will be sticky.

Round the ball into a plump loaf and dust with flour and put into a deep, buttered 8-inch baking pan or cast iron pot. Cut top of dough with X shape (make a deep cut).

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes — until golden brown on top. Test with toothpick or skewer to be sure bread is baked through.

Cool on rack.