Simple Soda Bread Recipes

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray.
• Combine dry ingredients in a deep bowl. Gradually stir in 1 cup buttermilk, beating constantly, until dough is firm enough to be gathered into a ball. If dough crumbles, add up to 1/2 cup more buttermilk, 1 tbsp at a time, until it holds together.
• Place on a lightly floured board and pat into an 8-inch flattened round loaf.
• Place loaf on baking sheet and slash a 1/2-inch deep "X" into the top of the dough with a small, sharp knife.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
• Serve hot.

EASY IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, caraway seeds, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and sour cream. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins. , Spoon into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing sides of pan. Cut into wedges; serve warm.

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
• Add about 1 1/4 cups of the buttermilk to the flour mixture, working it into a shaggy dough with clean hands.
• If the dough seems too dry, add more buttermilk until a sticky dough is formed.
• Knead the dough a few times (being careful not to overwork it), then transfer it to a baking sheet and pat it to a thickness of about 1 1/2-inches.
• Score the dough in a criss-cross pattern with a floured knife, and puncture each of the 4 quarters with the tip of the knife.
• Bake the soda bread for 15 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn the oven temperature down to 400 degrees and bake for another 25 minutes.
• Turn the bread upside down and continue to bake at 400 degrees for another 5 minutes.
• Tap the loaf with your fingertips- it should make a hollow sound and be golden brown and crusty.

WHITE SODA BREAD

Steps:

• First fully preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Sift the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Pour all of the milk in at once. Using 1 hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well floured board.
• Wash and dry your hands.
• Knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up, flip over. Pat the dough into a round about 12 inches (2.5 centimeters) and cut a cross on it to let the fairies out! Let the cuts go over the sides of the bread to make sure of this. Bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: if it is cooked it will sound hollow.
• Soda bread only takes 2 or 3 minutes to make and 20 to 30 minutes to bake. It is certainly another of my 'great convertibles'. We have had the greatest fun experimenting with different variations and uses. It's also great with olives, sun-dried tomatoes or caramelized onions added, so the possibilities are endless for the hitherto humble soda bread.

EASY SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix together the flour, salt and bicarb in a bowl. And if you'd like rosemary bread, add the chopped rosemary too.
• Mix together the milk and lemon juice in a jug, and wait for a minute as it magically turns into buttermilk. Then stir in the honey, and simply pour it into the flour mixture. Stir it with a knife for a minute until the whole thing comes together into a sticky dough.
• Tip onto a floured work surface and shape it into a ball.
• Put the ball on a floured baking tray and, using a sharp knife, make a deep cross on top.
• Put in the oven and bake for 40 mins.
• Cool on a wire rack until warm, then slice and serve.

AMAZINGLY EASY IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
• Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.