Herbed Irish Soda Bread

 

• 4 to 4-1/2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. basil
• 5 Tbsp. butter/margarine
• 1 egg beaten
• 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Mix or sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. I use two knives, then my hands until the butter is nearly as fine as cornmeal. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients, including parsley. Mix together until dough sticks together and releases from the side of the bowl. It will be slightly sticky, like biscuit dough.

Turn onto a floured surface and knead a few quick turns to even out the dough. Don’t over knead. Form into a rounded loaf approximately 2 to 2-1/2-inches thick. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place loaf on top smoothing out the top and sides. Cut an X into the top if desired. Bake at 350-degrees for 35-45 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil until done. Use a skewer to check if the bread is cooked. When it comes out clean, the soda bread is done. Let it rest on a rack for a few minutes, then place on serving dish. Cut into wedges or slices. Wrap leftover loaf well. Discard after two days.

Bake at 350-degrees for 35-45 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil until done. Use a skewer to check if the bread is cooked. When it comes out clean, the soda bread is done. Let it rest on a rack for a few minutes, then place on serving dish. Cut into wedges or slices. Wrap leftover loaf well. Discard after two days.

To make farls:

Flatten soda bread dough into a round circle and divide into farls *four parts*. Some people cut it into eight parts. Cook 5-10 minutes per side on a pre-heated griddle lightly dusted with flour. Again, use a skewer to see if the farls are cooked. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with butter and/or jam and whatever else you love on a biscuit, because that’s what soda bread closely resembles in flavor.

Comment:  This recipe came from Nola (Heart Land) on Facebook. She said her friend, Alberta’s Song, sent it to her. “Alberta’s Song” said that was a name given to her by her grandfather, and that whenever she sings or writes, she uses that name. Okay then!

Comment: I made this bread at high altitude, so I had to add a little more buttermilk and baked it a little less time. I also added herbs.

Comment:  If making the bread or farls for jam or honey, consider leaving out the herbs.

Comment: I served my herbed Irish soda bread with an old-fashioned pork stew surrounded by steamed cabbage wedges. Want the recipe for the stew? Click here!

 

Want to know a wee bit of history about Irish Soda Bread? Click here!

 

 

 

 

 

Just for laughs . . .