Hot Pink Apron

Eat well. Have fun. Wear a foxy apron.

  • Home
  • Welcome!
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Breakfast
    • Snacks
    • Mains
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
  • Family Favourites
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
    • Winter
  • Adventures
    • Events
    • Travels
  • Community
    • Contributing Writers
    • Artful Drinking
    • Love Mom xo
    • Blogroll
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Recipes / Snacks / Eat Me, I’m Irish Soda Bread

Eat Me, I’m Irish Soda Bread

March 17, 2011 By: Dana4 Comments

Yum.

I LOVE our KitchenAid mixer.  Brett and I use to joke that we already had the house and kids so the only reason to traditionally marry was in the hopes someone would buy us this mixer as a wedding present.  We formally said our “I dos” last October and thanks to the generous gifts of friends and family, were able to afford this kitchen staple.  Yeah marriage!

I have been so busy creating healthy muffins and perfecting butter-cream frosting that I’ve neglected one of it’s greatest assets (according to online reviews), the dough hook.  Now, bread and I have yet to find our happy place.  My breads seem to always fall flat or come out too paste-y and I just haven’t had the time to conquer the more complex recipes.

So, as I was flipping through The Mixer Bible I noticed this recipe for Irish Soda Bread.  No yeast mentioned, no chemistry kit required, simple ingredients, with even simpler directions.  With St. Patrick’s Day just days away, this was exactly what I was looking for.  The recipe is great and the outcome is delicious; my friendliest bread creation yet: dense, yet flavourful with a little bit of a sweet kick from the fruit. Ideal for snacking with a little butter or scooping soup and stew with.

Edie helped me mix the ingredients and she “painted” the dough balls with butter while I started dinner.  45 minutes later we were enjoying our bread masterpiece together.  I recommend everyone try an Irish Soda Bread, even if you don’t have a mixer you  can use a hand mixer to blend and knead the dough with your hands.  Pair it with my Broccoli Soup or a Guinness Steak Stew, it’s a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and ‘da Irish all year round.

Edie shows her love for our mixer.

Irish Soda Bread
Original recipe courtesy The Mixer Bible 2nd Edition
Makes two 6-inch loaves

Note: I used a combination of dried cranberries and raisins but you can use 1 cup of currants or experiment with your favourite dried fruits.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • Sift flour, baking soda and salt into mixer bowl.  Using the flat beater, stir and mix in sugar and softened butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add cranberries, raisins and buttermilk; mix until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.

    Remove the flat beater and attach the dough hook.  Set to speed 2 and knead until a soft, slightly less sticky dough forms, about 1 minute.

    Divide dough in half and form each half into a ball.  Pat each ball into a domed 6-inch round and place on prepared baking sheet, at least 4-inches apart.  Using a sharp knife, cut a 1/2-inch deep X into the top of each loaf.  Brush loaves with melted butter.

    Bake in middle of preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown, sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Let cool completely on wire racks.

    Cut a deep X into the top of each loaf. Brush loaves with melted butter.

    Edie "paints" our loaves with butter.

    Like a mature donut: crunchy on the outside, chewy dough inside with a slight sweetness from the dried fruit.

    FavoriteLoadingAdd to favorites

    Comments

    1. Wendy says

      March 17, 2011 at 2:46 pm

      Do you think this recipe would work if we exchanged plain yoghurt for the buttermilk….or would a little vinegar be required?

      Reply
      • Mrs. Dana says

        March 17, 2011 at 3:50 pm

        Yogurt can most definitely be used in place of the buttermilk. Here are a few substitutions for buttermilk recommended by about.com:

        • 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup yogurt
        • 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk PLUS 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (let stand for 10 minutes before using in recipe)
        • 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk PLUS 1-3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
        • 1 cup buttermilk = 1/4 cup milk PLUS 3/4 cup yogurt

        Reply
    2. Linda says

      March 18, 2011 at 12:33 am

      OMG That looks SO good! Can’t wait to (have Patti) try this recipe!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Buttermilk Makes Excellent Pancakes! | Hot Pink Apron says:
      May 17, 2011 at 1:13 am

      […] for Aunt Jemima for far too long.  Use the left over buttermilk on some simple and delicious irish soda bread.  You’re welcome.  Enjoy! […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Welcome to our vibrant family food blog! Come meet the posse here or here ↓.

    Sign up for our mailing list.

    Family Favourites:

    All The Berries Pavlova

    Mom’s Best Banana Cake

    Beautiful Dreamer Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

    Everything I Know About Food Blogging I Learned From Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon

    Home, Phở Goodness Sake

    Instagram Feed Please check your feed, the data was entered incorrectly.
    • Recipe Index
    • Press and Events
    • FAQ
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 —Hot Pink Apron • All rights reserved.

    Genesis Framework • WordPress • Log in