Traditional Irish soda bread is a yeast-free quick bread, and it's hard to imagine a St. Patrick's Day spread without it. This recipe has body, richness, and just a touch of sweetness.
2tablespoonschilled unsalted butter(cut into small pieces)
¾cupbuttermilk
1large egg
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. With your fingers, rub in the small bits of chilled butter until the mixture is crumbly.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and egg. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough. Lightly flour the counter or a clean work surface and knead the dough for about 2 minutes until smooth. Shape the dough into an 8-inch round loaf and transfer to the prepared baking pan.
With a sharp knife, cut a large X into the top of the dough. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the crust is firm (you should be able to give it a nice knock with your knuckles).
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan and cool completely (or til just barely warm) on the wire rack. Cut into slices or wedges.
Notes
Other additions you might see in Irish Soda breads are currants and sometimes orange zest, which you could add here, but I opted for a more straightforward bread. I’ve also seen recipes with the addition of Irish whiskey and caraway seeds…but though I tinkered with the traditional recipe a bit, I also kept the flavor simple.