Irish Soda Bread

I had every intention of making soda bread the week before St. Patrick's Day, just for this blog. But, as they say, "the best-laid plans of mice and men . . ."

The night before I planned on baking, I received notification I would be required to travel for work. Not only would this mean I would be too busy to do any baking the next day, it meant I would be away for Pi Day (3/14) and St. Patrick's Day. (And I already had my corned beef in the refrigerator . . .)

Grrrrrrr.

I first made Irish Soda Bread some years ago, when I discovered exactly how delicious corned beef turned out when cooked for a long time in a crock-pot. I found a simple recipe on Allrecipes.com which I have successfully used for years. Usually, I just make it for my family, but once, I was called upon to make it for about 50 people, when my employer scheduled an employee social event around St. Patrick's Day. (The Mexican ladies working in the kitchen at the time, who are excellent cooks, felt a little uncomfortable when it came to baking this unfamiliar recipe, so I helped them out. They loved it and took home the leftovers.)

The recipe calls for buttermilk, but the standard "sour milk" substitution using milk and vinegar works so well, I don't see the need to purchase buttermilk specifically for this recipe.

From my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook . . .

For each cup of buttermilk, mix 1 Tablespoon of vinegar (or lemon juice) with enough milk to make 1 cup total.  Stir it and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before using in the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 Tablespoons white sugar (This is 1/4 cup, if you want to make it easier.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 egg

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, then add the margarine.  With the margarine softened, I usually just cut it in with a whisk, but rubbing it with fingers should work, as well, if you prefer that mixing method.

Stir in the 1 cup buttermilk (sour milk) and the egg.  I usually use a fork to mix this mixture, just as I do for biscuits.

A note about making this in a desert:  I usually need more than 1 cup of sour milk to make this work.  If I use only a cup, I end up with a very, very crumbly dough which doesn't want to stick together at all.  Adding about another quarter cup makes it all stick together better without becoming actually sticky.

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead slightly.  Form it into a round and place it on the greased baking sheet.  I like to make mine a little flatter, rather than rounder on the top, because I like the results better.

With a sharp knife, cut an "X" into the top of the loaf.

Combine the 1/4 cup melted butter and a 1/4 cup buttermilk (sour milk); brush the loaf with this mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  I usually brush the loaf with the butter mixture about every 15 minutes in the baking process.

And there you have it!  A lovely, crusty loaf of dense bread.  The outside will have a tendency to crumble off if you slice it too warm, so it's a good idea to give it some cooling time before starting to slice.

 

By the way, we did have our St. Patrick's Day dinner at home, just about a week late.  And I did end up eating pie on Pi Day . . . taking advantage of Village Inn's "free pie on Wednesdays" special.  (Luckily, the 14th was on a Wednesday!)  And . . . we learned never, never to travel to Orlando on business during Spring Break . . .