What's everyone's favourite Irish soul food? Soda bread of course. And you don't need to live in Ireland, have any baking experience or all the "right" ingredients to give this quick bread a go for a taste of Ireland.
Irish Soda Bread was also known as Soda Cake in some parts and was referred to as "a cake of bread" rather than a loaf.
As yeast was not so readily available, the rising agent used was bread soda (aka bicarbonate of soda or baking soda) combined with buttermilk (or any fermented sour milk). Flour and a pinch of salt are all else that's needed. (Eggs, sour cream and a little sugar were only added for festive occasions long ago).
Baked in a bastable (pot oven) over an open turf fire, Soda Bread's distinctive feature was the shape of a cross (two insertions made with a knife so that the heat would go through).
How Irish Soda Bread was baked over a fire ~ brought to you from Muckross Traditional Farm in Killarney Co. Kerry.
Griddle bread aka Soda Farls are a smaller variation of the same recipe that was baked on a griddle or gridiron instead of in a pot). However it was cooked, the main delight was to eat it hot with butter!
When flour was a luxury, Oaten bread, Boxty and Stampy were popular alternatives.
How to Make Irish Soda Bread
INGREDIENTS: buttermilk*, plain flour, baking soda, salt.
Can't get your hands on buttermilk? Yoghurt (mixed with milk or water) will do a fine job as a substitute. Alternatively, fresh milk can be soured with lemon juice (grate that rind of the lemon into the mix for a decadent version!)
Can't get your hands on wholewheat flour? Unless your heart is set on brown bread, plain white flour is fine. Or a mix of both. And you don't even need to sift the flour!
METHOD
You don't need a cake tin, a flat baking tray or pan will do. No need to grease it –lightly dust the pan with flour. Job done!
Heat your oven at 180 C (prep time only takes 10 minutes).
- Add the dry ingredients (4 cups of flour, 1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), 1 tsp salt) and whisk together
- Add the buttermilk (2 cups, one at a time as you mix).
- Flour your hands and bring the dough together in a round (add flour or more liquid as needed)
- Place the round of dough on your baking tray score the top with a sharp knife (about halfway through)
- Bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown.
- Test if the bread is cooked by knocking on the underside of the cake when you take it out. If the sound is hollow – it's cooked through.
- Cool on a cooling rack. For a softer crust wrap in a clean teatowel.
- Get the butter ready for spreading! (Add smoked salmon and a drizzle of lemon juice on top for even more oohs and ahhs!)
Over to you...
Want to try your hand at Irish Soda bread?
Here are some of Ireland's best-known celebrity chefs to guide you:
Darina Allen's Traditional Irish Soda Bread ~ brought to you from Ballymaloe in Kilmahon, Co. Cork.
Kevin Dundon's Irish Soda Bread ~ brought to you from Dunbrody, Co. Wexford.
Donal Skehan's Wild Garlic Soda Bread ~ brought to you from Howth, Co. Dublin
We hope you have found the information we have shared helpful. While you are here, we have a small favour to ask. Ireland Reaching Out is a non-profit organisation that relies on public funding and donations to ensure a completely free family history advisory service to anyone of Irish heritage who needs help connecting with their Irish place of origin. If you would like to support our mission, please click on the donate button and make a contribution. Any amount, big or small, is appreciated and makes a difference.