Page 5 - Fitzgerald's Irish Cookbook

IRISH SODA BREAD
4 cups plain flour
1 1 tsp tsp salt
1 1 1 tsp tsp tsp baking soda
1 1 tsp tsp sugar (optional)
2 cups butter milk milk or sour milk milk Combined dry ingredients into into large bowl bowl Scoop up handfuls and and allow to to to to to drop back into into bowl bowl to to to to to aerate the the the mixture Add enough buttermilk to to to to to to to to make soft dough dough Now work quickly as the the the butter butter milk milk and and soda
are already reacting Knead the the the dough dough lightly – too too much handling will toughen it it it while too too little means it it won’t rise properly Form a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a round loaf about as as thick as as your fist Place it it it it on on on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a lightly floured floured baking sheet and cut a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a cross in in in the the the the top top with with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a floured floured knife Put at at once to to to to bake bake near the the the the top top of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a preheated oven 450oF for 30-45 minutes When baked the the the the the loaf will sound hollow when rapped on on the the the the the bottom with with your knuckles Wrap immediately in in in a a a a a a a a a clean tea-towel to to to to to stop the the the crust from hardening too much This bread is is is popular throughout Ireland Because it is is is easily and quickly made it is often baked fresh for tea or or even breakfast At home we call the loaf made with white flour
soda
bread bread while that made with wholemeal is wheaten bread bread Irish Soda Bread