How to make Irish Soda Bread

Miss 3 suggested we bake bread for snack so we thought we'd show you how to do it. It's very fun but you have to follow the instructions step by step -don't leave any out else it might not work.

NOTE: Must have two (or more) kids to lend their expert cooking skills. Don't have two? Ok then, even one will do. :)

Step 1 Practice kneading

Step 1: Practice kneading on homemade play dough while mummy gets the bread ingredients together.

Comments

[pkennedy]

As an Irish person myself (Antrim) I agree entirely with 'msw100' and 'aoifejohanna', recipes. Irish soda bread is the absolute most basic of soda raised breads, so if you keep that in mind you can't go far wrong, it was invented in times when people were impoverished and destitute, their only mode of cooking was an iron pot or griddle pan over an open grate of turf fire, yeast bread baking was not at all common outside commercial bakers, there was no refrigeration, buttermilk was also widely available and cheap from the butter makers so flour salt sour milk (buttermilk) and a little baking soda is all that is required for authentic Irish soda bread. and if you ever learn to make potato bread (fadge) and get your hands on some Ulster or Kerry bacon and some Cookstown sausages with some still warm fresh eggs from an irish hen house, and some wheaten bread then you will be getting close to an Ulster fry ie Breakfast.

[Dr Qui]

This is not Irish soda bread, this is an american adulteration of an Irish recipe.

http://www.sodabread.info/index.htm

In my 40 years of life in Ireland I have tasted around 50 different peoples homemade soda bread, none of them contain carraway seeds, raisins or butter in.

[Onkei]

Cool me and my mom both love Irish soda bread. We usually just buy it from bashes (Grocery store in Arizona) sorry I don't know if bashes is national at all. Lately I have been trying to remind her that we should get some. But she forgets a lot, getting old hehe. But maybe I could convince her that we could make this together. Because she doesn't forget to bake stuff lol. All that baking of pumpkin and banana bread, they are good, but maybe we could through in Irish Soda bread.

[rickharris]

The Irish DON'T put sugar and raisins into soda bread (my wife is Irish) Recipe: Sift 500 gms of strong brown flour into a large bowl (personally I use Spelt flour but you might not be able to get it) Add a teaspoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda Rub into the flour a large Table spoon of butter - You can use salted as you have put salt in anyway until the flour has absorbed all the butter. The more air you get into the mix at this stage the better. Add 500 Ml of Butter milk - traditionally the Irish use sour milk but it is hard to find. If you add a teaspoon of cream of tarter you can use ordinary milk - The acid in the butter milk activates the baking soda. Mix the dough - It will seem sticky at first but as you mix the flour will absorbe the liquid and turn to a soft dough. Swirl the bowl round to get the dough to form a ball and tip onto a floured baking sheet. Cut the cross in the top - I would cut it at least 2 cms deep depending on how high the dough is - The cross is to keep the devil out - It also lets heat into the centre of the bread. For 500 gms the bread will take at least 1 hour - perhaps 1 hour 15 mins to cook at 190 - 200 deg C Tap the bottom for the hollow sound - Cool eat. I make it 2 or 3 times a week for Breakfast. eating. Traditionally you cook it in a flat pan over an open fire putting hot turf on the lid to cook the top - an oven is easier. The family still burn turf at home on the farm and make their own butter / cheese.

[sarahschmara]

I've had a hard time replicating my Gran's brown bread but have come close by using; 1 cup white flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup wheat bran. Stir in 1 teaspoon bicarb of soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 10 ounces buttermilk (or sour some whole milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar--takes ten minutes) mix QUICKLY! Shape as directed above and pop in the oven until the loaf sounds hollow. I'll try to keep an eye out for spelt flour. This always gets gobbled up when I make it.

[Nymph]

I found another recipe that uses plain yogurt instead of buttermilk and it seems to work well. Do the Irish ever use yogurt, and do they really use caraway seeds in the bread?

[chrizw123]

no, im Irish and i never saw yoghurt used

[rickharris]

Nope a quick check with the oracle (wife) says not Yoghurt - BUt it will work. the idea is that the butter milk supplies some acid to activate the baking soda and produces CO2 to raise the bread and make it lighter. Yoghurh would do that. You can also put in cream of tarter which does the same and then use normal milk for the fluid but the tist suffers. NO caraway seeds in original soda bread though, (mind they taste good) A good whole meal flour is the best starting point for taste. Spelt Flour is the best!

[Nymph]

I have whole wheat flour, we purchase it in 30 kg bags amazingly enough.

[msw100]

Check this link http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Irish-Bannock/Detail.aspx and I think you will find dispite what your book says your recipe is for Irish Bannock loaf and not soda bread. Anyway when you do get the right recipe try a fried egg (runny) between two slices of soda with brown sauce on top.Thats called a dipped soda in Northern Ireland.

[greenmia]

Lovely recipe. I think your daughters are going to look A LOT like me when they're are older (I'm 13). I'm half asian too, and I looked a lot like the older one when I was their age. :)

[Nymph]

Aww, thanks! I just checked out your sorbet bars recipe and will be making it with my daughters! We just moved into a house without an oven (boo hoo) so I'm having to get creative with cooking & snacks. Thanks. :)

[Nymph]

Thanks for all your replies. I had planned to make a yeast bread with my girls and found out at the last minute we were out of yeast. This was the first recipe I found without yeast and yes, the recipe is from Gourmet cookbook. I have no idea what beer bread tastes like... The authentic Irish Soda bread recipe looks fantastic, will have to try it next time. Does anyone know of a substitute for Cream of Tarter? I live in Japan and haven't been able to find it yet.

[rickharris]

Baking powder has cream of tarter added already 0 The C of T acts as an activator for the Baking soda so it produces CO2

[aquacrusher]

Sharing your recipe in the intro would be pretty awesome....

[Nymph]

Thanks for the suggestion, I've added it.

[aoifejohanna]

Hiya, I find the handiest way to make Brown Bread is this 6oz White Flour 10oz Wholemeal Flour (nice and rough) Teaspoon Baking Soda Decent Pinch of Salt Butter/sour milk till the dough comes together handful of oats ::Roughly mix the dry ingredients in a bowl..... make sure there are NO lumps in the baking soda (use a sieve or just flatten it with your fingers) ::Make a well in the centre and gradually add the milk until it looks and feels like dough ::Then knead on a floured board ::Shape into a circle and cut a cross on the top ::Scatter oats on top with a small bit of flour ::Cook on floured baking tray in @ 190C for 30-40 mins till it sounds hollow when tapped et voila! super fast and easy peasy.........i learned this from my mother during afternoons that sound very like the one described above!!

[Future filmaker]

looks really good, does it taste like beer bread?

[canida]

Mmmm, soda bread! Looks like it's from the Gourmet cookbook - that's one of my favorites. Their peanut butter cookies are awesome.