Your ultimate Irish soda bread recipe

Lunaarli

I've been buying a gorgeous loaf of irish soda bread from a Local cafe. I became obsessed with it last year and have it with soup almost every day.

I'd love to make my own (in a loaf tin) and have tried in the past but it's never as nice as cafe/restaurant loafs.. what is the secret?! I've been using MacNean House recipe - https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.rte.ie/amp/744544/

Do cafes etc add loads of sugar or something? How do they get it tasting so so good!?

Would like to hear if people have a fool proof recipe to share!

bobboberson

I use this one, it's nice but not super sweet http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/recipes/desserts/pages/traditionalbrownsodabread.aspx

longshanks

Tom Kerridge does a beans on toast recipe using soda bread. He may be a Sassanach but he knows his stuff.

Dizzyblonde

Is it soda bread, OP, or wheaten bread? Wheaten bread often had something sweet added. I love Neven Maguire's recipe:
https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2013/0212/744544-macnean-wheaten-bread/

Another one I make often is the Ballymaloe traditional Irish yeast bread - it's really easy and doesn't require any kneading:
http://www.ballymaloe.ie/recipe/ballymaloe-brown-yeast-bread

They're both like the lovely brown bread served in restaurants.

Ardennes1944

Can these be made in a bread maker? Im in Switzerland and would love a bit of brown soda

Dizzyblonde

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

Can these be made in a bread maker? Im in Switzerland and would love a bit of brown soda

They probably could if you mix them by hand and just use the Bake setting. They're so easy though, if you have a loaf tin it's simpler to pop them into the oven.

huskerdu

longshanks wrote: »

Tom Kerridge does a beans on toast recipe using soda bread. He may be a Sassanach but he knows his stuff.

True. His soda bread recipe is good.

Also, his recipe for making baked beans from scratch is very good.
It takes a while, but it's easy if you plan in advance and they taste great.

huskerdu

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

They probably could if you mix them by hand and just use the Bake setting. They're so easy though, if you have a loaf tin it's simpler to pop them into the oven.

Agreed.
There is no need to use a breadmaker to make soda bread, because there is no need for kneading and proving.

However, if you dont have an oven, it should work, but it might be a bit hit and miss the first time on temperature and baking time.


Odlums have a number of soda bread / wholemeal bread recipes which are good and easy to follow.

http://www.odlums.ie/category/odlums-recipes/breads/

Shenshen

I got my recipe years back from a baking class in Waterford - which was taught by a Frenchman

But still, I find it to be one of the best soda breads ever:

350g coarse wholemeal flour
50g plain flour
50g porridge oats
pinch of salt
2 level tsp of bread soda
2 eggs
1 tbsp of sunflower oil
500ml of buttermilk
1 tbsp of black treacle

Mix is up, sprinkle the bottom of the bread tin with sunflower and pumpkin seeds before pouring the mixture in.
One you filled it into the tin, sprinkle the same seed mixture over the top.

Bake at 170 for 1 hour, then remove the bread from the tin and put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes.