A Slice Of Ireland: An Authentic Soda Bread Recipe

bon appétit magazine

In the countryside, there are as many versions of soda bread as there are cooks. Andrew McCarthy goes in search of the ultimate recipe (see below). For Andrew's runner-up recipes, try Traditional Wholemeal Bread and Fallon & Byrne Soda Bread.



Chasing a memory is usually a losing battle. But i couldn't help it. I wasn't planning this cross-country odyssey for the perfect slice of brown soda bread; it just turned out that way. So here I am, in the west of Ireland, at a breakfast table in the small, family-run hotel I first came to more than 20 years ago. I'm looking out the window to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands beyond, but my mind is on more immediate concerns. I'm waiting for the waitress to return carrying that silver tray loaded with Mrs. O'Callaghan's brown soda bread.

Looking back, how I got here now seems inevitable.

I spend more than a little time in Dublin-my partner is Irish and we have kids, so we go back often. We have a house there. I love it, yet I hardly ever relax; rarely does it feel completely like home. And when it does, it's usually around the table. I've been told that I never look more at ease than when I'm slathering some Kerrygold butter onto a piece of Irish brown soda bread. Maybe it's the whole comfort food thing-or maybe it's something a bit deeper.

Whatever it is, one thing is certain: Finding authentic brown soda bread in Ireland is becoming increasingly difficult to do. More and more, nuts and seeds and God-knows-what-else are finding their way into the mix and changing the traditional recipes. But I'm having none of it. I like my soda bread the old-fashioned way-firm, a little crumbly, and with that slightly sweet aftertaste that lets you know there's baking soda in there.

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Mrs. O'Callaghan's Soda Bread
At Ballinalacken Castle Country House & Restaurant, the bread is baked in a rectangular pan.

MAKES 1 LOAF
by Mary O'Callaghan
Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray

  • 3 cups all purpose flour

  • 3 cups whole wheat flour

  • 1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled margarine or butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 2 cups buttermilk

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray heavy baking sheet with nonstick spray. Whisk both flours, sugar, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Add margarine and cut in until margarine is reduced to pea-size pieces. Add buttermilk; stir until shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until dough comes together, about 10 turns. Shape dough into 9-inch round (the round should be about 1 inch high). Place dough on prepared baking sheet. Cut large X, 1/2 inch deep, in top of dough, almost all the way to the edges of the round.

  • Bake bread in center of oven until deep brown and bottom sounds hollow when firmly tapped (a bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the bread should emerge clean without any stickiness or moistness), about 55-60 minutes. Transfer bread to rack and cool completely.


TEST KITCHEN NOTE: Based on feedback from readers, we retested this three times and made adjustments to the original recipe that was printed in the magazine. Above is the version of the recipe that works best. We increased the baking soda to 2 teaspoons (instead of 1 teaspoon); shaped the dough to a 9-inch round (instead of a 7-inch round); increased baking time to 55 to 60 minutes (instead of 40 minutes); and clarified certain instructions on doneness. In one testing, we tried adding 1 teaspoon of salt and found that it detracted from the sweetness of the bread. Thank you to our readers for your feedback.


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