Soda Bread Recipe

Irish Soda Bread is something that gets made quite often in this house.

We love it, but love it best with some raisins added into the dough.

Here is the recipe I use most often...

Irish Soda Bread

ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour1 tsp salt

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp lard, ( I use butter)

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

makes 1 loaf

Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and cream of tartar into a bowl.

Rub in the lard and add enough buttermilk to make soft dough.

Turn the mixture on to a lightly floured board and knead for a minute.

Shape into a round and place on a baking sheet.

Mark with a cross, cutting deep into the dough.

bake for 45-50 minutes in 425 degree oven, until lightly browned and firm when tapped on the base.

Cool the bread on a wire rack.

variations:

you can use plain milk instead of buttermilk, but if you do, double the quantity of cream of tartar.

recipe is from the book by Ethel Minogue "Irish Cooking"

the first picture shows the dough before its baked and the second picture is the bread done,

but today it baked a bit longer than I like, but it still tastes wonderful with a cup of tea.