Easy Irish Soda Bread
This Easy Irish Soda Bread recipe is a staple around our house this time of year; with St. Patrick’s Day coming up we like to get into the spirit a little early and make up big batches of yummy Potato Soup and you just have to have soda bread to dip into it – it’s tradition!
What makes this quick bread so easy to make it also its namesake – rather than using yeast as the leavening agent, you use baking soda. Most of us have that on hand, so along with the other common ingredients (flour, salt, buttermilk) it’s an easy go to dish that tastes great and is the perfect accompaniment to a variety of meals.
Like I mentioned above, normally we eat it with big bowls of creamy potato soup – but you know what else it is good for? Breakfast sandwiches! Load a few slices up with scrambled eggs, cheese and some sausage and oh man – it is SO good! Give it a try sometime!
- 4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
- 4 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, but into ½ inch dice
- 1 ¾ cups cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried, crushed
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried, crushed
- 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
- With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and herbs in a measuring cup.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. It will be a very wet dough.
- Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into one large round loaf, or two round loaves.
- Place the loaf(s) on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife (this is important – it helps to insure the bread bakes evenly throughout).
- If you are making one large loaf, bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If you are making two loaves, bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool on a baking rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Enjoy!