britishfood

Soda Bread, popular in Ireland, is a form of quick bread which uses baking soda instead of yeast.  The basic recipe uses only four ingredients: flour, baking soda, milk and salt, although as you will see in the recipe below, other ingredients may be added. Once you have made it, be sure to eat it within a couple of days as it can dry out quickly.

The recipe I am sharing is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Joanne Asala’s Celtic Folklore Cooking, and is called Evaline Carney Shea’s Soda Bread:

6 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir in half the buttermilk. Add the raisins and then stir in the remainder of the buttermilk. Gather the dough in a ball and turn onto a floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 loaves and shape each into a round. Put on a greased baking sheet and cut a cross in the top of each loaf.  Bake for 45-50 minutes. Wrap each loaf in a damp cloth and cool on a rack for at least 6 hours before eating.

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