Soda Bread
Did you know I grew up in Northern Ireland? To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a nod to my Northern Irish roots i want to show to one of my childhood favorites - Irish soda bread. With just 6 ingredients and no yeast, and no need to shape it's quick and simple. Enjoy warm and add lots of salty butter, and let it melt…its heavenly!!! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 530g all-purpose flour
- 50g sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 75g unsalted butter (straight from fridge)
- 420ml buttermilk
Optional add-ins (choose one or keep it plain)
120g raisins or currants
120g chocolate chips
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 200c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a 8 inch cast iron skillet.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Now add the cold butter chopped in cubes. Start rubbing this lightly into the flour mixture with your until pea size crumb. If you're adding raisins or chocolate chips, you can mix them in at this point.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk.
4. Mix gently with spatula and stir the ingredients together until a soft dough forms, but be careful not to overmix.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it for just a minute or two until it forms a round loaf.
6. Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet or floured skillet and use a sharp knife to score a deep cross into the top of the loaf. This helps the bread to bake evenly.
7. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 50-55minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If the bread is browning too much ontop use aluminium foil to create a tent and cover and continue cooking.
8. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy your homemade Irish soda bread with lots of salty butter. Enjoy!