Irish Soda Bread

I had no idea what to make this Monday. I thought I had something prepared as I remembered writing out ingredients I needed. However when I looked at them they were for a birthday cake I’m going to make this weekand not something to bake on Monday. Shock horror! I started to think about things and realised that with my faulty electric whisk I couldn’t be bothered with anything that needed excessive use of that (due to the assistance of a knife shoved in the top to make it work). So I’m stuck.

Then a small miracle happens. I get out of a meeting and an email from my mum contains two recipes. One that I remember asking for and one that I didn’t remember asking for, (as I already have it), but that solved my problem. Bread - but without all that rising faff so it could be done quickly and without the need of a whisk. Soda bread was an integral part of my childhood as I spent three weeks in the summer there every year with my mum’s family. Mamó, my grandmother, would make bread every day and it was a staple with every meal.The smell of it invokes so many memories for me and as St. Patrick’s Day is soon upon us I thought it would be fitting.

I’ve left the recipe in cups (US) as when I used to watch Mamo make this she used to use a metal scoop to get the flour and oats from big bins under the stairs. I suppose it feels more authentic and more natural to use one easy measure for everything as this recipe is about providing a staple food for the family that is quick and easy to make. I suppose Mamó had made it so many times it was second nature to her. Don’t be put off by the yogurt. This simply replicates the buttermilk/yogurty liquid used originally and is easier to get hold of. I recommend butter and strawberry jam with a cup of tea, ideally in front of a peat fired range.

Ingredients

3 cups self-raising flour

2 cups plain wholemeal flour

1 cup porridge oats or bran (I prefer the oats)

1 tsp bicarb of soda (where it gets its name from)

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

1 egg

1 large piece of butter (can you tell it came from my mum? Say about 80g but you don’t need to accurate)

Large tub of natural yogurt (ideally full fat)

Milk if you need it

1.   Preheat oven to 200°/GM 5

2.   Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix well, then rub in the butter. You won’t get a full breadcrumb like mixture, as there is too much dry ingredients to fat, but you just want to disperse the butter throughout.

3.   Add the egg and yogurt and mix in. This will be too dry so add milk to bring it together and make a dough. You don’t want it too sticky but it needs to have some givein it.

4.   Knead the dough on a floured surface, adding extra flour if it’s too sticky. I’d say 3-4 minutes to just get it a bit elastic.

5.   Flatten out to about 2 inches thick and cut a cross in the top. Put on a floured baking tray.

6.   Bake for 45-60 minutes. The time will depends on all sorts of things – the type of oven, how thick it is, etc etc. Basically it’s done when tapping the bottom makes a hollow sound. Sometimes I get impatient and flip the bread over to finish it for the last 10 minutes but that’s normally when I’ve made it too thick.

7.   Once out of the oven cover with a damp dish cloth to cool. You can eat it hot (in fact I recommend it) but do allow it to rest for an hour once it first comes out.