Irish Soda Bread
Dense and beautifully golden on the outside, but still wonderfully tender and soft on the inside, Irish soda bread is the stuff of home bread baking dreams. This flavorful quick bread is almost ridiculously easy to prepare, comes together in less than an hour, and contains just a few basic ingredients.
Servings 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 3½ cups flour plus a bit more for dusting the pan
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)
- 1½ cups buttermilk well shaken
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly flour a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and caraway seeds (if using).
- Add the buttermilk and stir with a wooden spoon very briefly, or just until the mixture begins to cohere into large moist clumps.
- Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface. Then gather it up with your hands and gently press just until the dough holds together. (This should take no longer than about 15 seconds.)
- Quickly shape the dough into a ball and place it on a lightly floured baking sheet. Then gently press it down into a flat round, about 6 inches across and 2 inches high. With a sharp knife, cut a large cross (about ½ to 1 inch deep) on top of the bread, extending almost to the edges.
- Bake until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when it is tapped on the bottom, about 35 minutes.
- Transfer to a rack and cool before slicing.