Irish Soda Bread

[Delmonico]

Got another one of my recipes/history's written up, sorry no pictures this time, I've never got any pictures of it being built.  If anyone near me in SE Nebraska wants a weekend of being fed for taking pictures I'm game.

Irish Soda Bread

This is a simple quick bread; the name is what it is most commonly called in this country, it goes by many different names around the world including damper in Australia, bannock or farl in most of the rest of the English speaking world.   A look at the basic recipe shows that if you rolled it and cut into circles you'd have nothing but buttermilk biscuits. 

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salertus (baking soda)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of cultured butter milk or sour milk
3/4 tablespoon butter or lard

Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the butter/lard.  Mix the milk into the dry mix.  Knead 12 strokes and form into a round ball.  Cut an X on the top and bake in a moderate oven (350-375) for 30 to 40 minutes.

When I make Soda Bread I normally make a fancier version that uses whole wheat flour, when made with whole wheat it is sometimes called wheaten. 

Dessert Type Soda Bread

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salertus (baking soda)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup of cultured butter milk or sour milk
3/4 tablespoon butter or lard
¼ cup of currants (A small seedless raisin.)

Mix the dry ingredients and cut in the butter/lard.  Mix the milk and beaten egg together  then  mix into the dry mix.  Knead 12 strokes and form into a round ball.  Cut an X on the top and bake in a moderate oven (350-375) for 30 to 40 minutes.   The top can be brushed with beaten egg white and water for a nicer finish on top. 

[Mogorilla]

Hey Del,
Here is a version I have made for years.   I had some Scottish Bannock that was really moist from oatmeal.  (Scots love their oats).   I tweaked it here and there.   I make a white soda bread and this version for work ~ St. Pats day.    This version goes much quicker.


Whole Wheat Oat Soda Bread
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rolled oats
1 ½ cup boiling water
(combine oats and water and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes until cooled to room temperature)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
½  cup white sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk
5/8 cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 2-9 inch cake pans.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend egg and buttermilk together, and add buttermilk mixture and oat mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for ~30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

[Delmonico]

I'll have to try that. 

[Tascosa Joe]

Del:  We tried the whole wheat version yesterday.  It was very good.

[Delmonico]

Del:  We tried the whole wheat version yesterday.  It was very good.

Thanks, I'm going to make some when I get home using sourdough starter instead of the butter milk, that's good also.

[Texas Lawdog]

Del, Moose made some soda bread last year, to go with the corned beef and cabbage for last year's St. Pat's day.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Dried Blue Berries or even Craisens work if you like that sort of thing

My son makes both regular and gluten free soda bread fo approx 100 folks for my annual St Paddy's day festivities.
The gluten free version requires a slighly lower temperature and a longer cooking time.

The boy cheats somewhat as he uses the oven on an electric range, but does use cast iron griddles, fry pans or dutch ovens as the cooking vessel