irish soda bread

It’s St Patrick’s Day, so I have to honour my Irish pals (especially M.E.) with an Irish recipe.

Can you believe more than 10% of Australians have Irish ancestry, and in New Zealand that figure doubles to 20%! Those Irish sure got around!

Jonas made this bread last night and it was superb. The outside was crunchy and almost sweet while the interior was dense and crumbly and simply wonderful.

It was the first time I have ever swooned over bread.

On this St Patricks Day I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to a special lunch by some Irish government contacts (and at one of Sydney’s finest restaurants no less).

So Happy St Paddy’s Day to all the Irish out there! There may be only 4 million of you in Ireland but there's millions and millions more around the world.

Irish Soda Bread
Based on a recipe from allrecipes.com. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
2 cups (250g) plain flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
65g margarine, softened
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing
40ml extra buttermilk, for brushing
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190'C. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine.
3. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and the egg.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 40ml buttermilk then brush loaf with this mixture.
6. Use a sharp knife to cut an cross into the top of the loaf.
7. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.