A Little Bit O Irish Bread!

“May your thoughts be as glad as shamrocks,

May your heart be as light as song,

May each day bring you bright, happy hours,

That stay with you all the year long."

Have a happy St Patrick’s Day my friends tomorrow!

I bring to you yet another famous product from that beautiful Emerald Isle – White Soda Bread, in honour of St Patrick’s Day tomorrow. I have made quite a few soda breads in my time but this recipe from Rachel Allen’s Bake has to be my favourite. Every recipe I have baked from this book of Rachel Allen’s, has turned out excellent without fail.

Soda bread is a quick bread using bicarbonate of soda for the leavening instead of yeast. The buttermilk reacts with the bicarbonate of soda causing little tiny little bubbles of carbon dioxide. However, this soda bread doesn’t keep as well as its cousin a typical white loaf made from yeast and its best eaten within two days or toasted thereafter smothered in butter!

Ballymaloe White Soda Bread – slightly adapted

Courtesy of Rachel Allen’s Bake.

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients
450g (1 lb) plain flour

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 tsp Salt

350 - 425ml (12–15 fl oz) Buttermilk

Method

Preheat the oven to 230°C/fan 200°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in most of the buttermilk (leaving about 60ml in the measuring jug). Using one hand with your fingers outstretched like a claw, bring the flour and liquid together, adding more buttermilk if necessary. Do not knead the mixture or it will become heavy. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky.

When the dough comes together, turn onto a floured work surface and bring together a little more. Pat the dough into a roundabout 4cm deep and cut a deep cross in the top.

Place the dough onto a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn down the heat to 200°C/Fan 180°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 and bake for a further 20 – 30 minutes. When ready, the loaf will sound slightly hollow when tapped on the base and be golden in colour.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.

Lastly, sit back, relax, and sink your teeth into a slice of divine Irish Soda Bread spread with Kerrygold Pure Irish butter - scrumptious!