The base of this Irish soda bread is from Paul Hollywood who is pretty much the bread god of England. It’s also the easiest bread you will ever make as there is no yeast, no proving and no kneading. It’s partly whole wheat which I prefer, and I’ve added rosemary and lightly sautéed onions to give it a flavour boost. I loved it in my easy cheese and onion bread with herbs. With a base of just 6 ingredients, it’s the perfect bread to make on the weekend for brunch, lunch or to serve with soup.
If by chance you have any leftovers, you could make a delicious Welsh Rarebit. Which is what I did. I hadn’t made this in ages and craved the molten cheesy goodness.
After some research on the interwebs, I discovered there are so many variations to the Welsh Rarebit. In any case, beer or ale is used (yum) and some have eggs and others do not. I decided to make this recipe based on what I had on hand and decided not to open a beer to use a few tablespoons.
I think egg yolk is essential to give it unctuousness and a silky texture.Melted mature cheddar, with Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, is quite heavenly. You could add cayenne if you needed more spice or even a pinch of chilli flakes. There are so many possible variations. Next time I’llfinely chop up streaky bacon for atopping to the grill to a crisp.
This is a perfect light lunch in winter or a Sunday night supper in front of the telly.
Recipe – Welsh Rarebit (make this with the Irish soda bread you make)
20g butter
20g flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 free-range egg yolks, lightly beaten
60g mature Cheddar, grated
4 slices of bread (it’s great with the Irish soda bread)
Melt the butter in a small pot and add the flour to make a roux. Add the milk and keep stirring until you have a smooth and thick sauce.
Add the mustard, a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper and Worcestershire sauce and stir. When the flour has cooked out, remove it from the heat and while whisking add the egg yolks. When they are incorporated, mix in the cheese.
Place the bread on a baking tray and toast one side until brown under a hot grill. Remove and spread the Welsh Rarebit mix over the untoasted side and place it under the grill again. Cook until bubbling and brown.
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Easy no-knead focaccia bread
Recipe ~ Irish Soda Bread (adapted from Paul Hollywood)
You can keep this plain or add the rosemary and onions as I did. Or you could add whatever other flavours you like. Cheese, bacon, corn, chives, pimentos, olives…….
An easy Irish soda bread recipe with rosemary & sauteed onions (adapted form Paul Hollywood)
Print Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutesmins
Cook Time:50 minutesmins
Ingredients
250gall-purpose flour
250gwhole wheat or nutty wheat flour
1tspsalt
1tspbaking soda/bicarbonate of soda
420mlbuttermilk
1 1/2Tbschopped rosemary
2brown onionschopped
1Tbspbutter
Instructions
Heat the butter in a frying pan, preferablynon-stick and saute the onions for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat until they soften and start becoming translucent. You don't want them to brown, but they retain texture. Allow to cool.
You can make this by hand or use a mixer with a paddle attachment. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine. Add the buttermilk and cooled onions buttermilk and very quickly mix to incorporate. Do not overmix.
Tip out on a floured surface and bring the dough intoa round ball. Flatten this slightly and cut 4 slits around the sides - about 1/4 of the way into the dough.
Lift the dough onto a lined baking sheet and bake in an oventhat has been preheated to 200C for 35 - 45 minutes. It is done when it is browned on the outside and gives a hollow sound when tapped. You could also test by piercing with a sharp knife.
However, the two loaves differ pretty significantly from there. Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.
The thick and hearty nature of Irish soda bread helps it pair very well with meaty stews (especially Irish stew). You can use it to soak up the juices as you eat or as a vehicle for the meat and vegetables. Traditionally, Irish soda bread is served with a slow-simmered beef and barley stew.
Too much kneading will create a hard dense crumb on the bread. Rule of thumb with no yeast breads, the less kneading the softer the crumb. Score the bread. This is an important step to helping to ensure that the center is cooked.
The Southern Irish regions bake their loaves in a classic round fashion and cut a cross on top of the bread. This was done for superstitious reasons, as families believed a cross on top of the bread would let the fairies out or ward off evil and protect the household.
Ireland, for one, has embraced it's kind of bread – the soda bread. It is a basic staple among the Irish that they call it Irish Soda Bread. It's common to see the locals pair this famous bread with a bottle of Guinness too.
Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.
The slices are delicious simply spread with butter, jam, or marmalade. This bread can be toasted, too. Soda bread can be paired with any meal of the day. You can even bake it without the raisins to make a loaf to serve with savory dishes like soup, meat dishes, or to use for sandwiches.
Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.
Irish soda bread only requires a few ingredients, including buttermilk. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to provide the bread's leavening. It also adds wonderful flavor! We use buttermilk for the same reasons in my regular no yeast bread, too.
How to Store. This delicious Traditional Irish Soda Bread is best stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, place it in an airtight bag, and freeze them for up to 1 month.
You spent too much time kneading the dough. Baking soda starts to react and release its gas as soon as it comes into contact with the sour milk. Take too long and the gas will escape before the bread is baked. Kneading will also cause chewy gluten to form.
Your oven is too hot if it is uncooked in the center. Try lowering the temp on your oven by 25F and extending the bake time. Don't put anything on the top of the bread to aid in browning until the last few min. of cooking, and use an instant read thermometer (target temp to pull is 190F).
The most traditional doneness test calls for thumping the hot bread in the center to hear if it's hollow-sounding. A more foolproof indication is temperature; the loaf will register 200°F to 205°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the center of the bread.
Spotted Dog/ Railway Cake— Different names are used in different parts of Ireland, but this recipe has the addition of raisins or currents to the dough, usually along with butter and sugar. Seedy Bread—Traditional Irish soda bread with the addition of caraway seeds and a little sugar.
In Ulster, the wholemeal variety is usually known as wheaten bread and is normally sweetened, while the term "soda bread" is restricted to the white savoury form. In the southern provinces of Ireland, the wholemeal variety is usually known as brown bread and is almost identical to the Ulster wheaten.
What is soda bread? Soda bread is a type of quick bread which takes its name from the baking soda (or, sodium bicarbonate) that is used as a leavening agent instead of the traditional yeast. Traditionally, soda bread is made using flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.
The primary difference between a sourdough and a normal bread is that while a regular bread is kneaded with packaged yeast, sourdough bread is leavened with Lactobacillus bacteria and wild yeasts.
Irish soda bread has a couple of other names, too: When we attended a class at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland, they made this loaf and called it a Spotted Dog. It's also called white soda bread, American Irish soda bread, or fruit soda bread.
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