Irish Soda Bread

I came across an Irish Soda Bread recipe a few years ago, and I have been making it ever since. That is the only bread I make using baking soda as a leavener. It is a quick and easy baking process. Using baking soda as a leavening agent forces you to move rather quickly, no time to waste or you will loose all the carbon dioxide bubbles in the dough. There is no kneading, fermentation nor proofing required. You just need to combine together all dry ingredients, add a liquid component and quickly mix it all together, making sure there is no dry dough patches left. The dough mass will be very wet and sticky but that is nothing to worry about, that is the way it should be. Use a dough scraper to get the dough out of the mixing bowl onto a floured work surface, form a rough round shape and transfer it into a baking pan. In about 40 minutes, you will end up with a rustic looking bread with rich taste. The bread crust is firm and is moist and soft on the inside. It is perfect with butter and jam but is just as good on its own or with any other dish. Ingredients include various seeds and bran, making it a very healthy choice. Feel free to substitute or vary proportions of any of the listed seeds or bran and adjust to your liking.

Print Recipe

Irish Soda Bread

Traditional Irish Soda Bread.

Course

Bake

Cuisine

Irish

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

40 min

Servings

loaf

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose non bleached flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour plus some for loaf shaping
• 40 g unsalted butter cold, cut in small cubes
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 tbsp flax seed
• 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 egg large
• 1 cup buttermilk

Course Bake Cuisine Irish Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 40 min Servings loaf Ingredients 1 3/4 cup all purpose non bleached flour 1 cup whole wheat flour plus some for loaf shaping 40 g unsalted butter cold, cut in small cubes 2 tsp baking soda 1 3/4 tsp sea salt 2 tbsp granulated sugar 1/4 cup wheat bran 1/4 cup oat bran 1/4 cup wheat germ 2 tbsp flax seed 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds 1 egg large 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 220°C (425°F).
2. Butter 23 cm (9”) round baking pan.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour.

   
4. Add the butter and work it into a flour by rubbing between your fingertips until the butter particles are very small.
5. Stir in the baking soda, salt, sugar, wheat bran, oat bran, wheat germ, flaxseeds, and sunflower seeds.

   
6. Beat the egg lightly and combine with buttermilk.
7. Add the buttermilk solution to the flour mixture and stir with wooden spoon until the dough is formed. The dough will be very wet and sticky.
8. Dust the counter with whole wheat flour and turn the dough onto it. Dust the dough and shape it into a round loaf.

   
9. Transfer the dough to the baking pan. Using a bench scraper make a cross shape indentation on the top of the dough.
10. Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes or until deeply browned.
11. Cool it off on a wire cooling rack for about an hour. Serve warm.

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