The base of this Irish soda bread is from Paul Hollywood who is pretty much the bread god of England. It’s also the easiest bread you will ever make as there is no yeast, no proving and no kneading. It’s partly whole wheat which I prefer, and I’ve added rosemary and lightly sautéed onions to give it a flavour boost. I loved it in my easy cheese and onion bread with herbs. With a base of just 6 ingredients, it’s the perfect bread to make on the weekend for brunch, lunch or to serve with soup.
If by chance you have any leftovers, you could make a delicious Welsh Rarebit. Which is what I did. I hadn’t made this in ages and craved the molten cheesy goodness.
After some research on the interwebs, I discovered there are so many variations to the Welsh Rarebit. In any case, beer or ale is used (yum) and some have eggs and others do not. I decided to make this recipe based on what I had on hand and decided not to open a beer to use a few tablespoons.
I think egg yolk is essential to give it unctuousness and a silky texture.Melted mature cheddar, with Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, is quite heavenly. You could add cayenne if you needed more spice or even a pinch of chilli flakes. There are so many possible variations. Next time I’llfinely chop up streaky bacon for atopping to the grill to a crisp.
This is a perfect light lunch in winter or a Sunday night supper in front of the telly.
Recipe – Welsh Rarebit (make this with the Irish soda bread you make)
20g butter
20g flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 free-range egg yolks, lightly beaten
60g mature Cheddar, grated
4 slices of bread (it’s great with the Irish soda bread)
Melt the butter in a small pot and add the flour to make a roux. Add the milk and keep stirring until you have a smooth and thick sauce.
Add the mustard, a pinch of salt, a grind of pepper and Worcestershire sauce and stir. When the flour has cooked out, remove it from the heat and while whisking add the egg yolks. When they are incorporated, mix in the cheese.
Place the bread on a baking tray and toast one side until brown under a hot grill. Remove and spread the Welsh Rarebit mix over the untoasted side and place it under the grill again. Cook until bubbling and brown.
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Easy no-knead focaccia bread
Recipe ~ Irish Soda Bread (adapted from Paul Hollywood)
You can keep this plain or add the rosemary and onions as I did. Or you could add whatever other flavours you like. Cheese, bacon, corn, chives, pimentos, olives…….
An easy Irish soda bread recipe with rosemary & sauteed onions (adapted form Paul Hollywood)
Print Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutesmins
Cook Time:50 minutesmins
Ingredients
250gall-purpose flour
250gwhole wheat or nutty wheat flour
1tspsalt
1tspbaking soda/bicarbonate of soda
420mlbuttermilk
1 1/2Tbschopped rosemary
2brown onionschopped
1Tbspbutter
Instructions
Heat the butter in a frying pan, preferablynon-stick and saute the onions for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat until they soften and start becoming translucent. You don't want them to brown, but they retain texture. Allow to cool.
You can make this by hand or use a mixer with a paddle attachment. Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine. Add the buttermilk and cooled onions buttermilk and very quickly mix to incorporate. Do not overmix.
Tip out on a floured surface and bring the dough intoa round ball. Flatten this slightly and cut 4 slits around the sides - about 1/4 of the way into the dough.
Lift the dough onto a lined baking sheet and bake in an oventhat has been preheated to 200C for 35 - 45 minutes. It is done when it is browned on the outside and gives a hollow sound when tapped. You could also test by piercing with a sharp knife.
Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.
It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.
Reasons for an improperly leavened loaf include: You used too little sodium bicarbonate. This translates into too little CO2. Your baking soda was too old.
Irish soda bread was first created in the 1830s, when baking soda was first introduced to the UK. At the time, Ireland was facing financial hardship and lack of resources, so they turned to soda bread out of neccessity, it was inexpensive and required few ingredients.
The most traditional doneness test calls for thumping the hot bread in the center to hear if it's hollow-sounding. A more foolproof indication is temperature; the loaf will register 200°F to 205°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the center of the bread.
And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.
Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).
Rustic, hearty bread made using baking soda for rise instead of yeast but still has an aerated, chewy crumb like normal bread. No rise time! Traditional Irish recipe – no egg or butter, it's better without (read in post). use a combination of white and whole wheat flour for best flavour.
Note that the dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough). You want to work it just enough so the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-work the dough the bread will end up tough.
I was always told that the cross on the top of Irish Soda Bread was to symbolize the Catholic faith of Ireland, and the Gaelic Cross. Some say it kept the Devil out, but that is what a cross is supposed to do also. Turns out that is true but more importantly, it helps in the baking of the bread.
The best Irish soda bread, like this recipe, has a golden brown crust with a dense, tight crumb. The bread isn't heavy, it's actually quite tender and soft inside. The crust is nice and crisp when it comes out of the oven and becomes a little chewy on day 2 and 3.
Irish soda bread has a couple of other names, too: When we attended a class at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland, they made this loaf and called it a Spotted Dog. It's also called white soda bread, American Irish soda bread, or fruit soda bread.
Bread soda is also known as bicarbonate of soda and baking soda. A good substitute for buttermilk, if you need sour milk in a recipe, add 1/2 teaspoon of Shamrock Bread Soda to 150ml fresh milk.
*If you don't have access to KA's whole meal Irish-style flour, you can substitute Whole wheat pastry flour. It will be finer, and the loaf a be a bit moister, but it is an adequate substitute.
In Ireland, they sometimes make it with varying proportions of whole wheat flour, creating what they often refer to as brown bread. As for the leavening, the acid in the buttermilk reacts with the soda to create carbon dioxide.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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