Traditional Irish Brown Soda Bread

Brown and white soda breads are widely made in Ireland. My wife can recall as a young child when her Mum would bake soda bread in the family kitchen, you can imagine seven children anxiously watching the bread rise waiting to butter a thick slice. Irish farmhouse tables are laden with this freshly baked bread, this tradition continues with my sister in law “Ann” who keeps busy feeding three hungry dairy farmers. Originally the bread was cooked in an iron bastible or pot oven beside the open fire. They are very fast to make and are best eaten fresh.

Ingredients make 1 loaf

2 cups brown wholemeal or stone ground flour (335g)

1½ cups plain white flour (240g)

1 tsp salt (6g)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, sieved (3g)

1½ cups buttermilk (450 ml)

Method

Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

Add the buttermilk and working from the centre mix with your hands making dough.

Turn mixture out onto a floured board and knead until combined. Form a large round ball and place on a baking sheet or a lightly floured baking tray. Cut a deep cross and bake in a preheated 230ºC for 15 min. Reduce oven heat to 200 ºC and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until the bread is cooked and sounds hollow when tapped at the base.

Note: To make richer soda bread dough add 30g fine oatmeal, 1 egg and 30g butter to the mixture.

To create a fruit and nut bread add 80g dates, 100g walnuts or pecans to dough.

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