Irish Soda Bread All Year Round

The perfect day to restart Well Dressed Cupcakes Blog - St Patricks Day!

Irish Soda Bread made every year for our corned beef and cabbage dinner but why not for the rest of the year?  I make scones all year and now intend to make this bread!

 I love this bread fragrant and warm, just out of the oven, sliced and buttered or just plain.  The next morning, it was perfect toasted lightly.  This quick bread is so easy to make and the recipe comes from a friend of mine and is definitely the best I've tried.  Each year she makes over 70 loaves of Irish Soda Bread and brings them into work.  The anticipation for this bread usually starts around the very beginning of March and for as long as I have known Joan, in comes 70 Soda Breads on St Pat's Day!  She was kind enough to give me the recipe.  I follow it exactly (hers is still better!)  I retired and didn't get that Slater Soda Bread this year so I decided to start my own tradition and make more than one loaf to be given out.  I just got back from my deliveries and hope my friends enjoy this bread as much as I do! I've tried to use as many organic ingredients as possible.  Does it taste differently?  Maybe, maybe not but it makes me happy.

Try this recipe - it's just as easy as driving out to the store and buying store bought soda bread.  There is no comparision to the two! And don't wait till next St Pat's Day to make this.

Joan's Irish Soda Bread

3 1/2 cups of Flour ( I use unbleached)

2 Tbs Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

2/3 c Sugar

1 tsp Baking soda

1 1/2 c Raisins  (love Organic Raisins- Just better)

2 Tbs melted butter

2 beaten eggs  (brown Organic)

1 3/4 c to 2 c buttermilk   (I use the lowfat buttermilk) You can also use powdered buttermilk but remember to refrigerate.  It can be nice just so you'll always have it available

Sift dry ingredients together and add the raisins

Combine eggs, butter, buttermilk and add to the dry mixture

Knead gently into a round shape.  (Do not overdo this as the bread will become tough)

This wiil make two nice sized round loaves but I divided the dough and made mini loaves.

I used parchment paper but you can also place the loaves on a greased pan.

Take a knife and make a cross on the top.  (I discovered this was done to ward off the devil and protect the household!) but it's also scientific, primarily, because it allows the heat to penetrate into the thickest part of the bread, so it assists cooking!

So is this "Traditional" Irish Soda Bread?  If you search the internet using the term "Traditional Irish Soda Bread" about 63,500 sites are listed. 98% of them aren't even close to being traditional.

I'm stopping with Joan's recipe.  It's just the best!

Let me know how you like it and Happy St Patrick's Day all year round