As St. Patrick ’s Day is coming up I thought I would share a traditional Irish soda bread recipe. For me, soda bread is one of Ireland’s best recipes. For one, it is probably the easiest bread you will ever make. You don’t need any special flour, there is no yeast or proving involved, it takes minutes to make and less than an hour to cook. It’s also incredibly delicious served just warm from the oven with a thick layer of salty Irish Kerrygold butter. For this soda bread recipe, I have added some Irish Dubliner cheese, and some fresh chives which add a lovely fleck of green. I love adding cheese to this bread, as it gets all melted towards the crust which means extra deliciousness.
Cheese and chives make this the perfect savory bread to serve with soup, or just on its own with butter. If you are looking for inspiration for more Irish recipes, I have included a few ideas from the archives below. I’ve a wonderful Beef and Guinness Pie, Colcannon and if you are feeling adventurous, some Home-made Corned Beef. Plus on Friday, I will be sharing a boozy St. Patrick’s Day dessert, so stay tuned!
Ingredients
Makes 1 loaf
- 450g of all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda / bread soda
- 350mls of buttermilk (buttermilk varies in texture so you may need slightly more or less)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped chives
- 40g of Dubliner cheese, grated
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400F/ 200C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sieve the flour into a large bowl.
- Add the salt, bread soda, grated Dubliner cheese and chives.
- Make a well in the center, and slowly pour in most of the buttermilk.
- Using a fork, bring the mixture together into a soft ball of dough. The dough should be soft and not too sticky. If the mixture is too dry add a little more buttermilk.
- Put the dough onto a floured surface. Wash and dry your hands.
- Form the dough into a round shape, and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
- Dip a knife in some flour and make a cross shape in the center of the round loaf.
- Place the loaf in the oven for 40-45 minutes. When cooked, the loaf should be golden and well risen, and should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Put the bread on a wire rack to cool.
- Like all fresh bread, this soda bread tastes best the same day it is made.
