The quick breads category is pretty wide. They can be sweet like banana bread, barely sweet like scones, or savory like cheddar cheese and thyme biscuits. Unlike yeast-raised breads, quick breads are raised with leaveners like baking soda or baking powder, which means they require none of the long proof times. What’s more, Irish soda bread requires few ingredients. If you’re in the mood for a good Irish soda bread that takes no proof time and has few ingredients, this one is for you. The best way to cook it is in a Dutch oven.
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- • 12 oz all-purpose flour
- • ¾ tsp salt
- • ¾ tsp baking soda
- • 10 oz buttermilk
- • 2 oz raisins (optional)
Directions
- • Put the Dutch oven inside the oven and preheat to 425ยบ F.
- • Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl.
- • Pour in the buttermilk all at once and combine the ingredients by pressing and stirring.
- • When the dough starts to become clumpy and saggy, add the raisins (if using) and continue pressing and stirring.
- • When it’s mostly combined but there’s still loose flour at the bottom of the bowl, pour the dough out onto an un-floured countertop and press the dough to pick up the dry bits.
- • Once you’ve collected most of the loose parts, pat the dough into a two-inch thick round.
- • Use a serrated knife to score a half-inch deep plus sign into the door. • Please the loaf on a piece of parchment paper and lower the loaf into the Dutch oven.
- • Put the lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- • Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown.
- • Cool the soda bread on a wire rack before serving.
