Irish Soda Bread

Cead mile failte romhat (a hundred thousand welcomes to you),

It's the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. That means I dig out the recipe for Irish Soda Bread and have it ready for the morning of the 17th. And that means, you'll have it ready if you so desire to bake the best soda bread I've ever had. And, I am pursuing 'special achievement' in assessing Irish soda bread.

Second best soda bread: The Landmark Tavern, 12th Avenue and 46th Street in Manhattan. Opened in 1868 by Patrick Curley, on what at the time was the banks of the Hudson River. (Said same 'banks' are now just a touch further away.)

The Landmark's soda bread is very good. Mr. and Mrs. Cedarburg have been to The Landmark with Mr. Restaurant Quality and myself; they agree it is very good. Of course, it's the only thing on which they can comment regarding the food. You see, immediately upon being seated, our waitress brought the soda bread, The Guinness and Smithwick's. We ordered (the homemade meatloaf for me, please). Another round of beer, please. More soda bread, please. More soda bread, please. That's the last we saw of our waitress, until we saw her leave the restaurant and run down the street. We never got our dinner. Ahhhhhhh, but that soda bread..............

You're asking yourself: How did Ms. Restaurant Quality stumble upon such good soda bread, at such a delightful tavern?

Your answer: Many years ago Mr. and Mrs. Oconomowoc took me there. It was at my first visit that I discovered the world's BEST mashed potatoes (but this post is not about mashed potatoes), as well as the world's best Irish soda bread.

The mashed potatoes. Those of us who grew up in a household of Irish descent know full well of the nightly mashed potatoes. The nightly mashed potatoes developed a highly sensitized palate toward our food of the gods (or at least Granny Rohan, whom my Dad thought of as a god-dess).

Upon my first visit to The Landmark Tavern, we ordered the mashed potatoes. With the first forkful, I looked Mrs. Oconomowoc (she, also, of the nightly mashed potatoes) straight in the eye and swooned. Have never had better mashed potatoes. Only other food to cause the same sensation is Warm Butter Cake at Maestro's (I go limp just thinking of it).

The soda bread. I found this recipe on the Cooking Light website many years ago. It's the recipe of someone's great-great, brought over from Ireland. (But, if you go to Ireland, you won't find alot of soda bread. In all our travel there, we found one bakery with soda bread and it was not very good. St. Betty Ann, Patron Saint of all things Irish, would send me to bed without a Bailey's on the rocks for saying that!!)

It's very easy to make. No yeast, so you won't have 'will it rise' anxiety. Other than buttermilk and raisins, you already have everything you need, right on your shelves. And the aroma.......
You'll think you are in a whitewashed, thatched roof cottage, with a view of the rolling green hills right outside your window.

May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow...........................


Irish Soda Bread

375 degrees for 40 minutes
8" round cake pan, lightly oiled (canola or vegetable)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 T. butter, cold and cut into smaller pieces
3/4 cup AND 2 T. buttermilk
raisins, optional (1/2 cup) 'plumped' See My Notes


Combine dry ingredients; mix with whisk.

Cut in butter.

Add raisins.

Add buttermilk.

Mix into soft dough.

Knead on a floured surface, about three minutes, until smooth.

Form into a 7" round; place in lightly oiled 8" round pan.

Cut a cross into top of dough. About 1/2" deep. The cross should be about 2" long.

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven; cool on cooling rack for about 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool
to room temp.


My Notes:

Raisins are optional. If you are going to use them, 'plump' them first. To plump: place raisins in small saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain the water. Place raisins in a bowl; add about 1 T. flour and mix to coat the raisins. Now, they are plumped (and they won't sink in the batter).

If you think 1/2 cup raisins is not enough, add more. I'm a 'raisin' gal and always add more.

The 'cross'. It is VERY important that you cut in the cross ---- it lets the devil out.

If this was not an Irish recipe, the 'cross' would be called an 'X'.

Buttermilk. I don't buy buttermilk. I 'make' it. 1 T. plain old vinegar in a measuring cup, then add milk to equal one cup. Stir. Let sit for 5 minutes. Measure out the 3/4 cup and 2 T. One of these times I'll buy buttermilk and see how it works.

Best eaten the day you make it.

Mr. RestaurantQuality has something to add: Best served with three fingers of The Jameson.