Embrace the quaint charm of Ireland by baking your own Traditional Irish Soda Bread. With its straightforward ingredients and no-fuss preparation, this bread delivers a hearty, comforting experience that captures the essence of the Irish countryside. Perfectly served warm with a generous slather of rich butter and accompanied by a hot cup of coffee.
Ingredients
🌾 450g plain flour
🥄 1 tsp baking soda
🧂 1 tsp salt
🥛 400ml buttermilk
🌾 Optional for dusting: Rice flour, use sparingly
🧈 For serving: Butter
🍋 2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice mixed into 400ml regular milk, allow to stand for 10 minutes
🍶 Alternatively, thin out natural or Greek yogurt with a splash of milk or water
Instructions
1- Preheat Oven:
- Set your conventional oven to 230°C.
- Place a baking steel or a pizza stone inside to heat up.
- An empty tray should be positioned at the oven's bottom for later use with water.
2- Combine Dry Ingredients:
- Mix 450g of plain flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 1 tsp of salt in a bowl.
3- Sieve Dry Ingredients:
- Use a sieve to sift the dry mixture into a larger bowl, ensuring the baking soda distributes evenly.
4- Add Buttermilk:
- Pour 400ml of buttermilk into the dry ingredients, retaining a small portion to adjust consistency if needed.
5- Mix Dough:
- Gently mix the dough using a wooden spoon until a soft, shaggy dough forms.
- Add more buttermilk if too dry, and avoid over-mixing.
6- Flour Work Surface:
- Lightly dust a clean countertop with flour.
7- Shape Dough:
- Place the dough onto the floured surface.
- Dust its top with more flour, then gently fold the dough to form a smooth, round loaf. Avoid kneading.
8- Prepare for Baking:
- Position the dough on a parchment-lined pizza peel or a cold oven tray if not using a baking steel/pizza stone.
9- Optional Dusting:
- Lightly sprinkle rice flour on the loaf's top for visual contrast, using a small sieve.
10- Score Bread:
- Make a deep cross cut on top of the loaf, pricking each section with a sharp knife.
11- Bake (Initial High Heat):
- Transfer the loaf onto a preheated baking surface.
- Add water to the tray below to create steam. Bake at 230°C for 15 minutes.
12- Bake (Lower Heat):
- Lower the oven temperature to 190°C and bake for another 25 minutes.
- Alternatively, bake at 200°C for 40-45 minutes if using an oven tray.
13- Check Doneness:
- Tap the loaf's bottom to ensure it sounds hollow, indicating doneness.
- An internal temperature of 94°C-100°C is ideal.
14- Cooling:
- Remove and wrap the bread upside down in a clean tea towel, allowing it to cool for about an hour.
15- Serve:
- Once cooled, slice the soda bread and serve with butter.
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes (additional 10 minutes if preparing a buttermilk substitute)
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 50-65 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 230
Protein: 6g
Fat: 2g
Carbohydrates: 45g
Equipment:
- Mixing bowls, plastic and glass, no specific brand
- Sieve, plastic and metal, no specific brand
- Wooden spoon
- Dough scraper
- Baking steel, no specific brand
- Parchment paper
- Bread scoring knife
- Oven, no specific brand
- Oven tray
- Tea towel
- Wooden cutting board
- Serrated knife
- Butter knife
- Mug, "Game of Scones" branded mug
Cooking Tips:
- Ensure baking soda is evenly mixed with flour by sifting.
- Adjust buttermilk to achieve a soft, shaggy dough.
- Avoid kneading to prevent tough texture.
- Create steam in the oven for optimal rise and crust texture.
- Dusting with rice flour creates visual appeal and does not burn.
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Traditional Irish Soda Bread
