Traditional Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Click here for a PDF print version to use while you cook!

Traditional Irish Soda Bread, either with beef or lamb, is a traditional meal of Ireland and perfect for St. Patrick's Day. And it is so easy to make and is a meal in itself! It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare then about 2 hours in a large pot on the stove. It is also perfect to cook in a slo-cooker or crockpot.There is an interesting history of Irish soda bread on this webpage

Traditional Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
  (or better still, 3 cups lower protein unbleached all-purpose flour and 1 cup of plain cake flour )
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 and 1/2 cup milk (preferably buttermilk)
• Optional: 1 cup or raisons, sultana or dried currants

Equipment:

• 1 round 9 inch pan with 2 inch tall sides, like a cake pan (Or, if you don't have that, a loaf pan or anything with tall sides
• Mixing bowl

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Either grease the cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in a bowl
4. Add in the softened butter and work by hand or using a mixer with a paddle
5. Add the buttermilk with a fork until it starts to become dough.
6. Put the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into the shape of a round loaf.
7. Put the loaf on the prepared cake pan
8. It is traditional to lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a knife.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 180 F and a knife comes out clean.
10. Cool to warm on a baking rack.

Other traditional St. Patrick's Day dishes:

• Corned beef and cabbage
• Irish Stew
• Potato soup
• Guinness stout (beer) or any beer dyed green

• Shepherd's Pie

Other holidays and resources:

• Easter egg hunts - near you!
• Find local children's consignment sales
• Road tripping and camping tips, tricks and destinations
• Local Pick Your Own farms
• Environmental resources
• Consumer protection resources
• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local fruit and vegetable festivals
• Local Honey
• Valentine's Day info and resources
• Local meats, milk, eggs
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots