I don’t make Irish soda bread very often. I prefer biscuits or even scones, but at least once a year I’m required to make a loaf for St. Patrick’s Day to go along with our Corned Beef and Cabbage and green beer! If you don’t enjoy kneading dough, this is the bread recipe for you!
This bread is super easy to make and super easy to mess up – both for the same reason. Kneading. Barely any kneading is necessary, but if you overknead it, it makes for a pretty tough bread.
Start by mixing the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar together. Dice up the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers. If you want raisins in your Irish soda bread, add them now too. Then, make a “well” in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk and beaten egg.
Mix the dough, adding flour as needed, until the soda bread comes together. Knead just long enough to bring the dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner. Cut an X in the top of the loaf to allow it to cook properly in the middle.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400° for 45-50 mins. If the Irish Soda Bread starts to brown too much, you can “tent” a piece of foil over it halfway through cook time.
Slice and enjoy and don’t forget your Corned Beef and Cabbage and green beer! Cheers!
What you like to do on St. Paddy’s Day? Let me know in the comments!
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4-4½ cups flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 6 Tbsp butter cold
- 1 cup raisins optional
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1¾ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400°
- In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together.
- Crumb in the butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips. If you want raisins, mix them in after cutting in the butter.
- Make a "well" in the mixture and pour in the buttermilk, and lightly beaten egg.
- Mix until the flour is wet and everything is just incorporated. Add flour as needed if the dough is too wet and sticky.
- Knead only the few times needed to bring the dough together and shape into a large ball. Do NOT overknead.
- Place on a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cut an "X" into the top.
- Bake for 45-50 mins, or until the bread is crisp on the outside and sounds hollow on the bottom of the loaf when tapped.
- Slice and enjoy!
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