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Last year I received this copy of theIrish Pantry, by Noel McMeeland the first thing I made was Irish Soda Bread.
Of all the cookbooks I receive to review, Irish Pantry by Noel McMeel has hit my soul most deeply. His book is invigorating, which is not a typical cookbook description. His passion for the home kitchen and his childhood memories of cooking in his Irish homeland resonates with how I feel about the relationship of food and family.
I’m not Irish, but I can’t put this book away. It’s beautiful or should I say handsome. The cover is warmly colored and is bound in such a way that it feels hearty.The photography is simply stunning.
A lot of talent and effort has gone into the cookbook, Irish Pantry. The book doesn’t have many recipes I’m familiar with which made me love even more. Irish Pantry is mainly focused on traditional breads, preserves, condiments, and some sweets, and lots of recipes that make delightful food gifts.
Irish Soda Bread is Dreamy with Irish Butter
I know very little about Irish food, except for Irish cream and soda bread, and dreamy Irish butter. I was captivated with the stories of Noel’s growing up in Ireland and talking about having lots of homemade shortbread, which was considered a staple in his home growing up. They often sent guests home with food gifts, jams, chutneys and probably shortbread.
The book is filled with recipes calling for Irish butter like Buttery salted caramel sauce and Savory Whiskey Butter with Shallots and Kosher Salt, as well as lots of recipes for breads, like the family Barm Brack, which I”m sure when slathered with Irish butter makes all dreams come true.
I am also drawn to the recipes for spicy lemon confit, homemade Irish cream, blue cheese pecan crackers. I don’t think there’s another cookbook that addresses simple farm food in this elegant, earthy manner.
You not only fall in love with the food, and the photography, Noel’s voice comes through and you know you would feel comfortable sitting at the table with him, eating a simple Irish soda bread with a homemade preserve.
I’ve chosen probably the most simple recipe in Irish Pantry, traditional soda bread, because it’s an Irish staple and this recipe is make on top of the stove in a cast iron pan, looking back to the 18th century, a time when only the wealthy had ovens. Dairy was typically plentiful, and the Irish wheat was soft.
The introduction of baking soda gave the common home cook the ability to bake on top of the stove. I made sure I used White Lily Soft winter wheat flour. It does make the difference in keeping the soda bread light and more authentic.
Soda bread only takes between 12 and 16 minutes to cook and a few minutes to prep, only there is no fat in dough and they are denser. It’s mainly flour, buttermilk and baking soda. The smell of the dough reminded me of Southern biscuits, only the flour is heavier and there is no fat in the dough.
The texture is denser, and the outside crispy. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I felt like eating these was better than green beer. I made them into 4 pieces, the second time going more traditional, cutting into 4 triangles known as farls.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Soda Bread.
Print Recipe
4.80 from 10 votes
Traditional Stove Top Irish Soda Bread.
Traditional stove top Irish Soda Bread adapted from Irish Pantry by Noel McMeel
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Irish
Servings: 4
Author: Angela Roberts
Ingredients
2cups/ 280 grams soft winter wheat flourWhite Lily, plus more for dusting
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspooncream of tartar
1heaping teaspoon /10 grams baking soda
1cup/ 236 milliliters buttermilk
Olive oil or rapeseed oilfor oiling pan
Instructions
Mix flour, slat, cream of tartar, baking soda together in large bowl.
Using a wooden spoon, pour buttermilk in center of flour and mix.
Bring together to form sticky dough.
Turn sticky dough onto heavily floured surface.
Form dough into a ball, and flatten to about 1/2 inch.
Either leave in one piece or cut into four quarters and make four round soda breads.
Place just enough oil in pan to cover surface and cook on each side for 8 minutes on medium heat.
Notes
Flour: You can use all purpose flour, but it will be heavier than traditional soda bread. If you can, choose a soft winter wheat like White Lily.
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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.
And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.
Cover and bake until well risen and golden, 45 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until chestnut brown, with an internal temperature of 210°F (99°C), 12 to 15 minutes longer.
While soda bread is most famously attributed to Ireland, it was actually first created by Native Americans. They were the first to be documented using pearl ash, a natural form of soda formed from the ashes of wood, to leaven their bread without yeast.
You're looking for a dough that's soft but not overly sticky or wet, and that holds together enough to make a loaf that can hold its shape on the sheet pan. If the dough is dry and crumbly, add up to 1/2 cup additional buttermilk, a tablespoon or so at a time, until it comes together.
Barely any kneading is necessary, but if you overknead it, it makes for a pretty tough bread. Start by mixing the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar together. Dice up the cold butter and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or the tips of your fingers.
You don't want to work soda bread too much, but a bit of kneading isn't going to ruin it. Also, don't be afraid to have a sticky dough, sticky is sometimes what you want.
Irish Soda Bread Best warm and slathered in butter! Tends to stale quickly, within 24 hours. Keep wrapped in kitchen towel on counter and slice and freeze after 24 hours.
soda bread should be baked at 350 on medium to low fan if you're using a convection oven.. if they had the right temp it also could be a problem with the leavening agent.. not enough baking soda could also leave a doughy texture in the middle, this also could affect part of the batch if it simply wasn't dispersed ...
Fennel seeds are the closest alternative to caraway seeds and make an excellent substitution because they're both relatives of the carrot family, although they aren't the same plant.
Lower the temperature in the oven and cook it longer. 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.
How to Eat Irish Soda Bread. This versatile bread works for any meal, but Irish soda bread is a natural for breakfast, whether simply spread with (Irish) butter and jam or alongside that hearty fry-up known as a full Irish breakfast. It's also wonderful with a cup of tea in the afternoon or as a late-night snack.
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.
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.
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.
Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In the microwave: Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place it on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 10 seconds.
If you've ever tried Irish soda bread and not liked it, don't go running off yet! Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).
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