Irish Soda Bread
By The Cooking Book
Published on 21 April 2022
A traditional yeast-free bread. In baking, buttermilk produces a lighter texture than plain milk.Good with a bowl of hot soup or with a wedge of good farmhouse cheese and cooked ham.Leftovers will become dry after a day, but make good toast and croutons for soup. Or, make breadcrumbs for using in other dishes, and freeze until needed.Time and servings
45 minsTotal time
10 minsPrep time
35 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 2 tsp of cream of tartar
- 450 g of strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp of salt
- 60 g of butter, diced
- 300 ml of buttermilk,
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas 7) and flour a baking tray. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, and salt into a mixing bowl and stir together. Add the butter and rub in with your fingertips to form fine crumbs.Step 2
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Pour in the buttermilk, then mix to form a soft dough. Tip the dough on to a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly, then shape into a ball and roll around to smooth the surface.Step 3
Place the ball on the prepared baking tray, flatten slightly, and very lightly dust with flour. Use a floured knife to cut into 6 sections without cutting all the way through the dough.Step 4
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the bread is well risen, golden brown, and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.