Interested in the Irish raisin soda bread recipe? Read on to find out how you can make this traditional bread from Ireland at home…
Irish soda bread is a popular accompaniment to morning and evening tea. You will be able to find many different recipes for Ireland’s favorite bread as every region had its own twist to making the soda bread. However all breads have some basic ingredients like baking soda, flour, sour milk and salt in common.
The nature of the Irish bread is such that it doesn’t last for long. Hence the Irish families used to bake the soda bread after every couple of days. It is a rather simple bread which is not reserved for any special occasions. Although there are some fancier versions of the soda bread such as the spotted dog with raisins.
Today you will be able to find many different recipes for Irish soda bread when in actuality not all of them are for the traditional soda bread consumed by the Irish.
Making Irish soda bread
Brown soda bread
The best flour to use for soda bread is soft wheat flour. This is also known as cake flour and pastry flour in different parts of the world. You will need around three cups of wheat flour and one for white flour. You do not need to use self raising flour for the Irish soda bread. Furthermore you will also need buttermilk, salt and bicarbonate of soda.
Start off by preheating the oven to 425 F. Grease a cake pan lightly and set aside. Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl and rub in the butter until you find the flour to be crumbly. Make a sticky dough by adding the buttermilk and place on a floured surface and knead lightly. Make a flat round shape and place it in a round cake pan. Cut a cross on its surface.
Use another pan to act as a lid over the bread dough and set in the oven for thirty minutes. Now remove the cover and bake for another fifteen minutes. Knock on the bottom of the bread, if it gives a hollow sound then it means it is ready. Once the bread has reached its desired state take it out and cover it with a wet tea towel. Sprinkle some water on the cloth so that the bread remains moist. Once cooled enjoy with some butter and a cup of coffee.
White Soda Bread
For the white soda bread you will require all purpose flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. The first few steps are the same regarding preheating the oven and greasing a cake pan. But you will only combine all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the butter milk to form a sticky dough. Follow the same procedure and place in a cake pan, cover it and place it in the oven.
Although both these breads follow more or less the same procedure there is some variance in taste. Both of them will taste great with butter and tea.
