Irish Soda Bread

Oh so simple, delicious and nutritious bread

There are probably thousands of recipes and many methods of making Irish soda bread, and I am sure you can read countless hints and tips for cooking and making soda bread, This is my Irish soda bread recipe.

Simplicity itself, no need to knead, no bother or fuss, just mix all the ingredients in a bowl or use a mixer with a dough hook, shape, bake and enjoy!

If you are lucky enough to live in a country where you can buy Kerrygold, why not Italy? Butter then please do so. Irish soda bread with a thick spread of Kerrygold and a nice mug of Barry’s tea, “Can’t beat it with a shtick”.

This recipe also works exactly the same with white flour, just sway the brown flour in the recipe for an all-purpose white, same amounts. If you are feeling a bit wild you could throw in about 100g of sultanas into the mix and then you will have, what I think some people call scone bread in Ireland, but I am sure it would be called different things in different counties in Ireland. Whatever you want to call it is still Delicious.

Happy baking

Print Pin

Brown soda bread

Course Bread

Cuisine Irish

Keyword brown soda bread, Irish bread, Irish soda bread, Soda bread

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Cooling time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Man Has Knife

Cost €1.50

Equipment

• Mixer, helpful but not necessary

Ingredients

• 500 g Wholemeal flour Organic is best
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 300 ml Buttermilk or sour milk See notes on liquids

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 220°C, 425°F or Gas mark 7. If you have a pizza stone place that in the oven if not put a heavy oven try in to heat
• Place all dry ingredients into a bowl or mixer bowl, no need to sift the flours, you can sift the baking powder and bicarbonate and give all a quick mix to distribute the dry ingredients
• If using a mixer attach a dough hook, if using a bowl make a well in the centre and slowly add the liquid while mixing everything
• You do not knead soda bread, just mix until all the ingredients come together and form a ball of dough, once mixed tip out onto a floured surface
• You need to work quickly now, lightly flour your hands and shape the ball of dough into a round or at this stage you can split the mix in half for two smaller loaves
• Take your pizza stone or tray out of the oven cover with a bit of parchment or dust the stone with some cornmeal
• Place your loaf or loaves onto the tray then sprinkle the top with flour, lastly score a deep cross into the loaf and place into the oven
• Bake for approx 35 mins, check after 30 mins, it should have risen well and look beautiful, to check it is cooked lift the loaf and tap the bottom, it should sound hollow when baked
• Take out of the oven and place on a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least half an hour before tucking in.
  

Notes

On liquids

You can use any liquid that is slightly acidic, buttermilk is normal but you can use and I have, yogurt, sour milk, kefir and even Guinness! If you only have  milk add about 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar to 300 ml of whole milk and let it sit for 10 mins, this will curdle the milk.

On baking.

It is the chemical reaction between the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda mixed with the acid liquid that gives the bread lift, that is why it is important to get the loaf into the oven as soon as possible after mixing, this is why you need to have your oven ready and up to temperate before you start to make the bread which only takes a few minutes.

Are you going to try this recipe?

I would LOVE to hear your Comments about this recipe and if you like post a picture on your Instagram account and mention @Manhasknife and hashtag #Manhaskniferecipe