Amazing, Easy Irish Soda Bread
If you have buttermilk on hand, you can replace the milk and apple cider vinegar with 1 cup buttermilk. As for “scoring” the bread, this creates an intentional weak spot that helps control the direction in which the loaf expands. Serve a slice warm out of the oven, or if cooled, toast before serving. It is unrivaled when warm, with it’s crusty shell.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup milk (whole or skim)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (sub with lemon juice or white vinegar)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar (sub with any white sugar)
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cold
- 1 egg
Variation: Nuts & Fruit Loaf
- 1/2 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup raisins
Variation: Blueberry Coconut
- 1/2 cup dried coconut (large ribbons or small shreds)
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or dutch oven.
- In a small bowl, stir together the milk and apple cider vinegar. You are creating your own buttermilk! Let stand while you prepare the dough.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Chop the butter into pieces and add to the flour mixture, working into the flour with your hands to form coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg to the buttermilk and whisk together.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to stir and fold the ingredients gently, until a shaggy, wet batter has been formed. Gently stir in your variation ingredients.
- Transfer the dough to your greased skillet or dutch oven, and use your spatula to form the dough into a round shape about 6-7 inches across. Use a knife to draw a cross in the center, “scoring” the dough. This will create a “weak” spot that will control the direction the bread expands.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the bread has formed a dome-like shape. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
- You can also freeze for up to 3 months by wrapping the loaf in plastic wrap and then sealing in a large Freezer Ziploc.
Notes
Love soda bread so much it’s become a weekly treat? Keep a boxed mix
Find it online: https://emmafrisch.com/amazing-easy-irish-soda-bread/
