Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk

There’s no excuse not to whip up a crusty loaf of Irish soda bread this St. Patrick’s Day, especially when it’s part-whole wheat and packed with oats! One of the best quick breads out there, soda bread is so easy that the hardest part is waiting for it to cool before serving it with salted Irish butter. I’ve also included a few variations you can try out!

Step: 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (191 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Step: 2

Mix flours, rolled oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix buttermilk and melted butter together in a small bowl.

Step: 3

Make a small well in the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk-butter mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Step: 4

Turn the dough out on a generously floured surface and knead into a smooth, round loaf. Place on the cookie sheet and cut a shallow X into the top of the dough.

Step: 5

Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown, about 1 hour. Carefully tap the bottom of the loaf; it should sound hollow. Cool on a baking rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Per Serving: 272 calories; protein 7.5g; carbohydrates 42.6g; fat 8.3g; cholesterol 20.3mg; sodium 751.1mg.

The quality of the flour could make a real difference to your bread. Different makers do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re make wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always getting bigger as well as clear bread.

To make this in a dough , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be done in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can work it yesterday , then finish it off the next day.