Scrumptious Soda Bread Recipe

If there was ever a staple of traditional Irish cuisine, and a must-have on the breakfast table, it’s soda bread.

Always made with care, soda bread is a classic Irish favorite.

Be it the star of an Ulster fry (in farl form), or just eaten straight with butter or jam, it’s a favorite most Irish folk would recognise. It can come straight and thin, or heavy with nuts or raisins. But whatever your tastes, there’s a soda bread recipe out there for you. And everyone’s mum has a different one…

Our recipe today comes from Kevin Dundon, chef and all-round culinary whiz. Kevin is the current chef of the Wexford’s Dunbrody Cooking School, and was more than happy to let us borrow his recipe.

And we’re pretty sure you’ll be more than happy to eat it.

Soda Bread

Makes one loaf.

Ingredients:

• 450 g (1 lb.) plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 tsp salt
• About 400 ml (14 fl oz.) buttermilk (though Kevin says sour milk with lemon juice will do in a pinch!)

First Truth of Cooking: It's just as much fun to bake as it is to eat!

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/gas mark 4 (350 degrees F).
2. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre.
3. Pour all of the buttermilk in. Using a large spoon, gently and quickly stir the liquid into the flour. It should be soft but not sticky.
4. Place in a 900 g (2 lb.) non-stick loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when turned out of the tin and tapped.
5. Place on a wire rack to cool.

What pairs great with soda bread? Irish Stew, for one! We also cooked up some yummy Guinness Bread – feel free to place it next to soda bread in your recipe box. And you can check out other recipes from Kevin Dundon on his website.