Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Authentic Irish soda bread does not call for sugar, raisins and caraway seeds. True Irish soda bread has four ingredients:  Flour, sour milk or buttermilk, salt and baking soda.

Americans have created recipes that present this bread as more of a dessert by adding ingredients based on their personal tastes. Irish soda bread is a very dense bread that goes stale quickly. It should be baked and served immediately. Even when covered and wrapped very tightly, this bread tends to dry out quickly. The good news is that this bread can be made in a few minutes and tucked into the oven while you make dinner-about 1 ½ hours from beginning to end.

The following recipe is authentic enough to taste just like Grandma made it. A few extra ingredient will enhance the texture and taste.

Easy Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Ingredients You Will Need:
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups buttermilk (yogurt makes a good substitute)

Variations:
?" cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
½ cup golden raisins, boiled and drained
½ cup chopped currants

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and lightly grease two cookie sheets.

Mix all of the ingredients, except the buttermilk, in a large bowl. (If adding the rolled oats and sugar, add them in with the dry ingredients. If adding the butter, cut it into the dry ingredients after thoroughly mixing the dry ingredients together). Add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix. The dough is generally sticky. (If adding the caraway seeds, raisins and/or currents, do so at this point). Knead gently and divide into two to four loaves.

Form the dough into round loaves and place the loaves on the prepared cookie sheets. Slash the top with a large X and let the dough settle for about 20 to 30 minutes. Pop the cookie sheets into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. The tops will be nicely browned and the bread will sound hollow when tapped.