Irish Soda Bread

Soda bread was first introduced to Ireland in the 1800s when people did not have an oven to cook with. Instead, they cooked the bread in a cast-iron pot and put it directly over the flames. Since farmers back then had very little money, baking soda was an inexpensive and nonperishable ingredient to come by. The baking soda gives the bread a light and grainy texture of pancakes while the buttermilk and raisins give it a tangy finish. Today, this bread is often called the traditional table bread of Ireland. I hope you give this old recipe a try sometime!

Total cooking time: 50 min.

Serving size: One large loaf

Ingredients:

4 cups all purpose flour

3 tbsp. white sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup raisins

4 tbsp. butter

1 egg, beaten

2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, raisins) in a large bowl. Create a well in the center of the mixture.

2. Pour the wet ingredients (butter, egg, buttermilk) into the center of the well and mix.

3. Now it’s time to get your hands dirty! Get in there and knead the dough until it is smooth and form into a loaf shape.

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and obtain a large baking tray and line it with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and lay the bread on.

5. With a knife, score a large cross in the middle of the bread.

6. Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes.

7. Let it cool for 10 minutes and serve!

~Anni Zhang