*You’ll get addicted to this simple, yet satisfying Irish Soda Bread.*

I’ve never been a fan of Soda Bread until I came across this recipe and just fell in love with it. Most of the Soda Bread I’ve had in the past is grocery store bread that’s been wrapped in shamrock decorated plastic and has the texture of a brick. This Soda Bread however was simple to make and is scrumptious - especially with a bit of jam on top!

According to Wikipedia, the flour classically used for Soda Bread in Ireland is made from soft wheat, so when making Soda Bread here in the US it’s often recommended to use a cake or pastry flour which has lower levels of gluten than an all-purpose or bread flour. Having said that, I used organic All-Purpose Flour and it turned out wonderfully.

Also note that due to the fact that the leavening action starts immediately you should practice a minimum amount of mixing of the ingredients before baking; and definitely don’t knead the dough.

Simple Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

For the Irish Soda Bread:

4 cups (510 g) all-purpose flour (or cake flour)
1.5 teaspoons (12 g) kosher salt
1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking soda
1 cup dried currants
1 egg
1¾ cups (410 g) buttermilk
2.5 tablespoons melted butter

Put it All Together

Preheat oven to 400°.
Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and currants in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk.
Pour in the melted butter and stir.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together - being mindful not to over stir.
Use baking spray or olive oil on a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Your dough will be sticky so be sure to flour your hands as well as sprinkle a flour over the dough. Shape the dough into a ball, scraping the sides of the bowl as best you can to gather up all of it.
Once you’re happy with the shape of the dough, place into cast iron skillet.
Use a knife to make a classic X across the top of the dough ball*.
Place in oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out cleanly.
Remove from oven, transfer to cooling rack, and let cool for 15 minutes digging in!

*The folklore behind cutting a cross into the top of Irish Soda Bread is "let the devil out" or to ward off evil and protect the household. The cross is also a practical- it helps the bread cook evenly and prevents it from turning out too dense.