Traditional Irish Soda Bread ....

March is that time of year when all things turn Irish. Even Easter, if it arrives early!

Food, such as this, once had a purpose. A real purpose. It was meant for sopping into hearty stews to mop up rich gravy; dipping into bacon grease after frying eggs and bacon; soaking into soups. The dense, interior texture with the crisp, chewy, outer crust, deliciously withstood such gastronomical rigors and acrobatics. Try doing any of the above with a simple piece of white bread...and it just falls apart.

Since Irish soda bread only uses four ingredients, it was simple to quickly assemble and to  have ready for supper.

Refined, soft, white flour was not a staple of Irish homesteads 150 years ago. Their flour was coarsely ground with flecks of bran. Even back then, "the white stuff" was reserved for the wealthy.

The following recipe uses bread flour with a higher concentration of glutens and less "silkiness" of white flour which will make your bread crumble as you cut it. To achieve the "coarseness," I added one cup of rye flour.

It's important not to overwork your dough. Don't worry if some of the flour remains in the bowl. Do not add any sweetener, such as brown sugar, white sugar, honey. You want the earthy grain tones in the forefront.

Some recipes call for flouring a non-greased pan before baking. Don't. There's nothing worse than the flavor of burnt flour. Use a sheet of parchment paper.

This loaf will produce a tender-chewy outer crust and hearty interior. DO NOT, under any circumstances, attempt to cut this or any loaf of bread while it is hot from the oven. Once removed from the oven, it's important for the bread to "steam." Cutting it, releases that steam which results in a dry loaf.

Even one-day old and wrapped in cling-wrap, the bread will retain a toned-down crispy crust. It makes for wonderful sandwiches.

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour mixed with 1 cup rye flour for a total of 16 ounces*
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• scant 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose salt
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk (be sure to shake it before using) plus 1-2 tablespoons set aside

You will need a LARGE bowl for the mixing.

Place dry ingredients in a bowl. Using your hand, whisk your fingers through the flour to incorporate salt and soda.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.

Make your hand into a "claw" with outstretched fingers and begin mixing in a circular motion from the center to the outside of the bowl. Yes, it's messy. This should take no more than 15 seconds or so. If necessary add another tablespoon or two of buttermilk.

Tip the dough onto a flour-covered board. Begin shaping by cupping the mound of dough between your palms as you turn turn turn on the board to form a soft ball. Tuck under any loose ends.

Gently pat the ball to form into a seven-inch circle. You want a disk about 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick. Place disk on a parchment-paper baking sheet. Brush with additional buttermilk.

It is traditional to "bless" the bread by cutting a cross into it about 1/2 inch deep. Make a slash in each quadrant to allow "the evil fairies to escape" so the bread has a nice rise as it bakes.



Place in center of a 450 F degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 400 and continue to bake another 15-20 minutes.

Turn over bread and continue to bake another 5-10 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped.

The underside.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut the loaf in half and then begin slicing from the heel.


*Or 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole-wheat flour or rye flour for a total of 16 ounces.


"Americanized" Irish soda breads are sweet with the addition of sugar, eggs and dried fruit. That recipe can be found here: Kitchen Bounty: Irish Soda Bread.

Irish Soda Bread with Dried Fruit and Caraway

A true Irish soda bread uses whole-grained flours, not white, and little, if any, sugar (it's actually quite bland). Instead of yeast, which was not readily available to then-poor agrarian farmers, baking soda was used. When combined with acidic buttermilk, the chemical reaction caused the bread to rise. Just be sure your baking soda is fresh.

In Britain, the addition of eggs and some sort of fat would constitute a "cake" rather than a "bread." Hence, this is sometimes called a "railway cake" sturdy enough to take the travails of travel.

This loaf is particularly good lightly toasted and spread with cream cheese. It’s really quite easy to make. British counterparts would call for dried currants. I settled for American dried sweet cranberries. I steeped both the berries and raisins in a cup of boiling water to plump them up. I drained them in a sieve and then rolled them on a cloth towel to dry as much as possible. (Some people would use a hot, strong cup of leftover tea. I've done that, but it really does not impart any flavor.) Don't omit the caraway. (If you can find them, use baking raisins which are already plump and juicy).

One could, of course, free-form the loaf into a rustic sphere or boule and bake in the oven. Or one could, I guess, use loaf pans. I have done neither.

Just about any dried fruit would work here. I've also
used golden raisins.

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups raisins, (not recommended) or a combination of raisins and dried cranberries and other dried fruits (highly recommended) that includes dried cherries and if possible, dried citron
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• Fresh grated orange peel from 1/2 orange (optional but highly recommended)

Before making the bread, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round cast iron skillet or a 9-inch high-sided round baking or cake pan. I  use an 8 x 11 cast-iron, enamel-lined Dutch oven. 

Have your pan well greased and ready to go. As soon
as you add the buttermilk, the batter will begin to rise
and you don't want it sitting around.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour (reserving 1 tablespoon), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins and caraway seeds. In a small bowl, blend eggs, buttermilk and sour cream. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture just until the flour is moistened. Knead dough in bowl about 10 to 12 strokes. Dough will be very wet and sticky. Place the dough in the prepared skillet or pan and pat down with moist hands. Cut a 4-inch long x 3/4-inch deep slit or incision in the top of the bread. Dust with reserved flour.

For this batch, I grated in some orange peel
from half an orange I had in the fridge.

The batter will be very thick. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 60-75 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 200 F. This is a wet dough, hence the long baking time. Let cool a bit and turn bread onto a wire rack to cool.

This was delicious and is a perfect breakfast
with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

TIP: Dried fruits are readily available around Christmas. I suggest you buy extra to store for recipes such as this.