This irish soda bread really is different to any other bread. It is a traditionally irish bread that is made, as its name says it, with baking soda instead of yeast (like most bread recipes).
Jump to RecipeThe resulting bread, then, has a different texture. It is not a fluffy bread, instead it is kind of dense and feels more cozy. The baking soda forms air bubbles inside, but it doesn’t have that typicall “bread” consistency. It is, indeed, a different bread.
I like slicing it, like you can see in the pictures, because then you get part of the crust in each slice, which tastes great with the soft inside.
Ever since we started this bread monday night tradition in hour house it has been quite a challenge to come up, look for, find and modify lots of bread recipes, just to make a new one each monday. We could have made it a anything else” monday, but, we love bread, adore it, like nothing else. If I were ever to be on a diet, they could take basically anything but bread away from me, I will always want bread.
Now, we´re so lucky my sister really also loves kneading, which makes it easier with keeping up with this bread mondays, since our goal is to make a different type of bread each week from scratch.
This recipe is part of this. It´s a bread that uses baking soda as a riser instead of the usual yeast. It tastes rustic, crunchy. It is the absolute best with just some butter on it while still hot. And if there’s some leftovers for the next day you can toast it and spread some butter on top. I personally think this is one of my all time favorites, because of it’s flavor so different and original.
If you like this recipe you have to go check out our challa bread.
Irish soda bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 C all purpouse flour
- 1/2 C sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 2/3 C buttermilk
- 1 tbsp oats to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a big bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and mix using a mixer until it is all well combined.
- In a small bowl whisk together the egg and buttermilk.
- Start beating the flour mixture again on medium speed, and slowly add the buttermilk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. The resulting dough will be very wet.
- Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead a little to turn it into a round loaf. You might be tempted to add more flour, but don´t do it.
- Place the loaf on a previously greased (or lined with parchment paper) baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, cut an X on top, as big as you want it. Sprinkle the oats on top to decorate.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45 min. aprox. or until a wooden stick comes out clean when inserted.