After the cold weather, the New Year, Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday – March is finally here.  We notice the days getting longer and have been enjoying unseasonably warm days.  We look forward to St. Patrick’s Day – a day of GREEN, a sign of spring.

I often have a little extra appreciation for my Irish heritage when I see shamrocks all around and think of my Grandpa (one of my very favorite people).   He was “Boston Irish” – salt of the earth – was in the Air Force during the Korean War and was stationed in England.  He met a beautiful English girl and settled with her back across the pond creating a legacy of some of the best people I know – The Kelley Family.

My Grandma has a great recipe for Irish Soda Bread.  And, while I’d like to keep that one to myself, here’s the version I make lately.  I bake things almost exclusively with Einkorn flour.  It’s an ancient grain and easier to digest, has a smooth texture, and is organically grown.  You can use all-purpose flour or try it with Spelt, which would make for a great, nutty texture.

The magic in this recipe is the chemical reaction between the buttermilk and the baking soda that gives it a great rise in the oven giving the texture of a yeast bread but with no yeast or rise time.  It’s a great bread to make if you’re short on time.

And here’s a trick my mama taught me.  To test bread to see if it’s done, gently tap the back of a butter knife on the top.  Bread that’s done will have a subtle hollow”ish” sound to it.  This works for most types of yeast breads and Irish Soda Bread, but not other quick breads and cornbread.  If you get the sound but the bread isn’t golden brown, by all means bake for a few more minutes to get the beautiful color.

Irish Soda Bread

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side Dish

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups AP flour Spelt would be great
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup salted butter melted (plus more for brushing)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• Optional: sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter and stir with a large wooden or metal spoon until a soft dough forms. Depending on the type of flour you use, you might need to add a little more buttermilk or flour to get the right texture. The dough should stick together easily but isn’t too dry.
• Dust a clean countertop with flour and turn the dough out. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if it’s too sticky. Then, pinch the sides into the center of the dough all around, turn over and rotate several times with both hands at the sides to form a round loaf. Brush the top with more buttermilk and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. With a very sharp knife or razor blade, score the top with a cross pattern. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until it’s golden brown and gives a hollow sound when tapped with the back of a butter knife. Remove from heat and brush all over with melted butter.
• Let cool for 10 minutes and serve with soft grass-fed butter.