Soda bread

18/07/16 09:00 Filed in: Pub grub | Sandwiches | Traditional | Vegetarian

Fresh from the oven

You’d be hard pressed to find an Irish kitchen without a recipe or two for brown soda bread, the old hearty standby that puts any store bought loaf to shame. It’s basic, but practically required Irish home-cooking. Our recipe produces a soft, nutty loaf equally at home with a bowl of soup, as part of a sandwich or just by itself with a spot of butter and/or jam. One of the great aspects of brown bread is that you can enjoy it sweet or salty depending on how you pair it. Toasted soda bread with butter and honey (one of James Joyce’s favorites) is a classic for a reason. I like to make a loaf a week to keep on hand.

Ingredients (one loaf)

2½ cups whole wheat flour

½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup steel cut oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon honey
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Coat a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray, line with parchment paper and coat the paper with spray.

Combine dry ingredients; combine wet ingredients; then add wet mixture to dry and mix until combined, taking care not to over mix. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and flatten with a wet spoon. If desired, sprinkle more oats on top. Bake for 65 minutes or until crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove loaf from pan and parchment paper and cool on a rack.

Wrapped in tinfoil or plastic, bread should last several days up to about a week at room temperature and will last longer if refrigerated or frozen.

Looking to create a delicious sandwich with this bread? Try our Toastie and egg.

Gathering the ingredients.

Wet and dry ready to mix.

In the pan, ready to bake. So simple, but so perfect.

Soda bread disappearing
A blank slate.

butter-honey
Butter and unfiltered honey topped soda bread. Cue James Joyce.