I made the soda bread in the Dutch oven and oh my goodness what a difference, it cooked so much better than when I cook it in cake pan. Love my Dutch oven I will cook it with that from now on. Woooo hooo lol
Delicious. Made without the egg due to allergy. Added raisins, but only 1/2 c. Divided into 2 smaller loaves. Used air bake baking sheet with parchment. Nice with melted butter. Demolished quickly! TY!
I was always told that the cross on the top of Irish Soda Bread was to symbolize the Catholic faith of Ireland, and the Gaelic Cross. Some say it kept the Devil out, but that is what a cross is supposed to do also.
The shape and the content of the soda bread, is indicative of where you live in Ireland. Also whether you bake or pan fry the bread. I have always baked my soda bread, but maybe it is time to try to fry the bread. My Italian father (and me) loved fried yeast bread, but that will be another delicious blog. The difference of white bread vs brown bread may have had to do with affluence, brown being the coarser bread, and white being the more refined. I bake with half and half, white and brown flour. I have heard that the foam on top of your pint of beer is an excellent leavening agent because of the yeast and sugars in the beer. I truly would rather drink my beer and use baking soda, for the bread, but again maybe it is time to try something new.
There is a new web site, www.TheSocietyofthePreservationofIrishSodaBread.com that is kind of a fun read.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.
Cut in softened butter until mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Add buttermilk.
Mix until all dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn out on lightly floured pastry board.
Knead gently until smooth.
Shape into a ball.
Place on silpat on a cookie sheet.
Press a large floured knife into center of loaf almost through to bottom.
Repeat at right angle to divide loaf into quarters.
Bake 40 minutes until top is golden and loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Remove to wire rack to cool.
Brush top with milted butter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, melt 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter in a microwave and let cool slightly, then whisk in eggs, followed by the buttermilk until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just moistened; do not overmix. Stir in the raisins or currants and caraway seeds.
This looks terrific! My father in law used to say the shortest book ever written was great Irish recipes. And Terry, since I have a lot of buttermilk left from my adventures in soda bread, thanks for the idea of using buttemilk in my mashed potatoes!
Oh my, I was looking for Irish soda bread when I came upon this recipe and I have been drooling since. I have never made Irish soda bread before, but this recipe looked ripe for a knock off of my too many dried cranberries in the cupboard. Zest of one orange and a cup of cranberries and an evening of delight!
i think someone mentioned this above, but if you use a bigger skillet (i used a 12 inch) watch the bread closely as it will probably be done quicker than an hour. (mine was golden and firm at 45 minutes.)
made this bread yesterday and it was most yummy! i halved the recipe for my tiny cast iron stillet, and it worked out perfectly! thank you, smitten kitchen, for once again sharing a great, easy recipe :)
this came out more like a cake than the traditional irish soda bread I am familiar with. Was a big disappointed, will just have to try again with another recipe. Although everything else I have made of yours has been amazing.
Just made this for breakfast and it was fantastic! Did it with raisins and a bit of cinnamon and allspice because it is November, and anything with raisins gets cinnamon/cloves/allspice/nutmeg/all of the above in my house. Yum.
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious, but the middle just would not harden. After the full time of baking, the top was super brown and super firm, and the middle is still liquid. What did I do wrong?! Either way, the sides are going to be awesome. Thank you!
Hi, this is a great recipe. Here is a change I make, I add a mixture of chopped dry fruit; apricots, dates, figs, and then some chopped nuts, a mixture of pecans and walnuts. Make the break sooooo much better! Maybe not traditional, but really good! Was thinking next time of soaking the dry fruit in some Irish whiskey before I add them! Thanks for you great recipes, I make many of them!
Mary c.
Lovely, moist and muffin-y. I used one cup white whole wheat flour and two cups all purpose flour; the 1/2 cup of sugar; dried currants, cranberries and cherries soaked in strong black tea; and I toasted the caraway. Yum! And thank you for all your inspiring recipes!
Love this recipe. We added a bit more sugar because the family has a sweet tooth. I also ordered a cast iron skillet just for making this. Looking forward to making it in the pan. I also used a baking thermometer. The first time it was not totally cooked in the middle. My fault. I was afraid of burning it.
Absolutely easy and excellent results. I went savory with a tablespoon-ish of chopped fresh rosemary and about 2/3 cup of aged white cheddar. Moist and delicious. Perfect for soaking up a Guinness Beef Stew.
Sprecher fire-brewed cream soda is the perfect sweet treat! It's no secret why our handcrafted cream soda causes smiles of delight. We skillfully brew each batch with pure honey in our gas-fired kettle. A delicate caramelization of sugars results in amazing deliciousness. Our unique process produces a richly flavored soda with an exceptionally creamy mouthfeel.
However, different places have different ideas about what cream soda should look and taste like. In parts of the U.S., it is red. In Canada, cream soda is often pink and bubblegum flavored. In South Africa and Japan, cream soda is typically green and fruity.
The reason for all of this variety is that cream soda was originally a category of soda rather than a flavor. In old-fashioned soda fountains, any soda that went well with milk or ice cream was called a "cream soda."
Yes! Cream soda is one of the most popular Sprecher sodas, and there is a good reason for that. Sprecher cream soda is infused with the rich flavors of vanilla and caramelized honey, which many people find very appealing.
The ginger. Use organic ginger to make your ginger bug. Non-organic may have been irradiated, in which case, it lacks the naturally occurring bacteria and yeasts necessary to perform the fermentation.
The sugar. I use organic evaporated cane sugar. Any granulated sugar will do. The amount of sugar looks shockingly huge when you add it but the microbes eat it. The longer you ferment your tea, the more the microbes will consume and the less sugar your beverage will contain.
The hibiscus tea. Two people on social media this week asked me what this is so I thought I better post a picture of it. This herbal tea is made from dried hibiscus flowers. Although the hibiscus tea tastes delicious, you can use any type of herbal tea for this recipe.
Finally, all fermented foods contain some alcohol. Anything I make with my ginger bug seems to have more. If you stop the fermentation early by transferring your hibiscus soda to the refrigerator, it will contain much less alcohol than it will if you let it ferment longer. If you do want a more alcoholic drink, ferment your tea for a week to 10 days or more. Just be sure to burp those bottles every day or two and let someone else drive.
Dear Anne Marie, thank you for all your wonderful recipes! I loved the soda and am eager to try more fermenting soon!
Greetings from Bavaria (probably gonna try making sauerkraut soon ? )
Sophia
Hi Anne Marie ! At first thank you for your great posts ! When I take cups of liquid out of the ginger bug to make soda, do I have to add water back to the ginger bug ? Because when I take out all liquid it will be only ginger pieces left or ?
Hi! I live in a very hot and humid place and on day 2 my mixture was bubbly, had a fuzzy white layer all over the strawberries and had a sharp smell. I suppose it got moudly? How can I avoid this next time? And is the final mixture supposed to have a fermented smell!\taste?
Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain, housed in a restored 1920s apothecary in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Menu includes original ice cream sundaes, house made artisanal sodas and ice cream floats, as well as savory sandwiches and breakfast biscuits.
In Ireland however, the original Irish soda bread was more rustic and not sweet at all. Made with just 4 ingredients, including soft wheat flour, baking soda, sour milk and salt (no sugar), it was enjoyed year round with soups and stews, and served warm with tea. More interesting facts here.
Flavor: Sourdough adds a unique depth of flavor to any baked good. When combined with baking soda, the sour notes actually neutralize. The soda bread will not taste sour. You can use bubbly, active sourdough starter or sourdough discard for this recipe- your choice.
Preservation: The naturally occurring acids in sourdough act as a built-in preservative. The acids enhance the texture of this soda bread, tenderizing the interior crumb. I use about 1 full cup of sourdough. It works beautifully in this recipe.
No Waste: As part of the sourdough starter feeding process, a pile up of sourdough discard can feel overwhelming. This sourdough discard recipe puts it to good use without the waste. Read more here, Sourdough Discard 101: Recipes & Faqs Answered.
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