Description
This traditional Irish soda bread recipe is an easy, rustic loaf of bread that you can prep and bake in under an hour. Winner! Eat it warm slathered in cold Irish butter.
Ingredients
- 450g plain flour
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 360ml buttermilk
- 1 tbsp rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Give it a 10-second whisk to aerate the flour and break up any lumps before popping it aside.
- In a small bowl /measuring jug combine the honey and the buttermilk. Give it a good stir.
- Make well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl with other ingredients. Using a large wooden spoon, Stir just to combine, but no more. The mixture should be a bit a little sticky, but not overly so. This is completely normal. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and lightly form the dough into a ball with the top flattened a little. Soda bread dough should only just come together. It should not be kneaded.
- Place the dough on a floured piece of baking paper.
- Using a sharp knife (serrated works a charm), score the top of the loaf with a cross about 1/3 of the loaf deep.
- If you have any remnants of the buttermilk in the jug, brush it on top of the loaf. Scatter the top of the bread with rolled oats.
- Lift the soda bread (by the paper) into a small, oiled Dutch oven (without the lid) and pop into the preheated oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack or wrapped in a cloth tea towel.
Notes
Make sure that you score the top of your loaf. Why do we cut a cross in the top of soda bread? Not only will it help the loaf cook evenly it also lets the fairies out! Very important!
To Store… Soda Bread is best eaten on the day that it is baked. However, the next day (and day after) I toast the bread for the BEST breakfast toast around. A loaf rarely lasts longer than a day or two in our house. But on the rare chance that it does, store in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also slice it, wrap individual slices in cling wrap, and freeze until needed.
While soda bread is best eaten on the day it is made you can store any leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 loaf
- Calories: 243
- Sugar: 4.6 g
- Sodium: 788.9 mg
- Fat: 2.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.5 g
- Protein: 7.3 g
- Cholesterol: 5.1 mg