Molasses Soda Bread Recipes

MOLASSES BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Spray 9X4 inch loaf pan with non stick spray.
• Sift dry ingredients together.
• Mix liquid ingredients together, then add to dry mixture.
• Blend well with electric mixer.
• Pour into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours.
• Cool for 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely.
• Delicious with cream cheese.
• Freezes well.

GUINNESS BREAD

Steps:

• Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the butter and rub into the dry ingredients until it resembles fine breadcrumbs - I recommend working quickly as the mixture can easily become greasy if over mixed, or mixed using too warm hands.
• Add the milk, black treacle molasses, and the Guinness.
• Mix to create a wet dough.
• Grease a standard loaf tin, add the wet dough and bake in the oven for 40 - 45 mins or until the bread is well risen and thoroughly cooked.
• Leave for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
• Eat while slightly warm if you like, or allow to go completely cold. Delicious with salty butty and Irish smoked salmon, cold meats or cheeses. The recipe comes courtesy of the home of Guinness, the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland. The storehouse was a fermentation plant for 84 years but is now a 7-story visitor center.

MOLASSES SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 and lightly oil a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the sheet with cornmeal, semolina, or oats, and set aside.
• Put the 1/2 cup oats in mixing bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, molasses and oil; reserve.
• Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the liquid all at once; add raisins. Stir briskly with a wooden spoon until dough pulls together in a shaggy mass. Let rest 3 minutes.
• Flour your work surface and hands. Scoop half of the dough onto floured surface and knead gently; if dough is a little sticky, a dough scraper might help. Knead for 1 minute, shaping into a ball. Place on the baking sheet. Using a sharp, serrated knife, make two parallel slashes on the surface of the dough, about 3/4 -inch deep. Repeat for the other half of dough and place on sheet; leave plenty of room between the loaves.
• Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 and bake 20 minutes more, until dark and crusty. When done, the bottom should sound hollow when tapped with a finger. Cool loaves before slicing.

MOLASSES AND OAT SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil large baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Whisk buttermilk, molasses and oil in medium bowl. Stir in oats; set aside. Mix next 6 ingredients in large bowl. Make well in center. Add buttermilk mixture and raisins. Stir until dough comes together (it will be moist). Let stand 5 minutes.
• Lightly flour work surface. Scoop half of dough onto surface; knead gently just until no longer sticky, about 30 seconds. Shape into 4 1/2-inch-diameter ball. Repeat with remaining dough. Place loaves on baking sheet, spacing evenly. Using sharp serrated knife, make 2 parallel slashes atop each loaf, about 3/4 inch deep.
• Bake loaves 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F. Bake until dark and crusty and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, about 25 minutes. Transfer loaves to rack; cool completely. (Can be made 8 hours ahead.)