There’s nothing finer than to start a crisp Eirish morning with the aroma of fresh bread baking. Soda Bread is a quick, simple recipe that makes a crunchy yet tender bread that works as a side dish for a rich bowl of lamb stew or as a treat served warm and spread with butter and honey.
Lady Moira Glenshannon, Paladin Instructor at the Hero University, came from the Emerald Isles and knows a thing or two about making Soda Bread. She grew up running an inn and served many a hungry customer a loaf of this tasty bread.
Although the basic recipe just calls for flour, buttermilk, and baking soda, this recipe adds butter, seeds, and fruit to make a delicious dessert.
Buttermilk makes the recipe richer, but you can substitute canned milk or regular milk mixed with 2 tablespoons orange juice, lemon juice, or vinegar.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Sliced Butter
1/4 cup Sugar
1 3/4 cup Buttermilk
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 egg
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Salt
Zest of one Orange
1 tsp Caraway Seeds
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 cup Craisins, Raisins, or Currants
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until butter is pea-sized. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a large measuring cup. Stir almost all of the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients a bit at a time, reserving one tablespoon of the liquid. Then mix in the fruit.
Dump the dough onto a heavily floured surface, flour your hands, and briefly knead the dough until it comes together into a smooth ball. Place on the middle of a parchment-covered backing sheet. With a knife, slice an X across the middle of the dough. Brush the top of the dough with the reserved liquid mixture and then the place in the oven. Cook for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Serve warm.
