Soda Bread

You don’t need to paint the walls with shamrocks but there are a few things you can do to bring a little Irish charm to your restaurant or cafe. It could be a St Patrick’s Day playlist, a green-coloured cocktail, an offer on Guinness, or even a special menu for the day with some Irish classics.

420ml buttermilk
1 large egg
530g all-purpose flour, plus more for your hands and counter
3 tbsp (38g) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
70g unsalted butter, cubes and cold
Optional: 1 cup (150g) raisins

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). You can either use a lined baking tray or a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet or dutch oven.
Whisk the buttermilk and egg together and set aside.
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
Using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers, mix in the cubed butter.
Once fully combined, stir in the raisins if using.
Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture.
Gently fold the dough together until the dough is too stiff to stir.
Pour crumbly dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can, then knead for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened – If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet/pan/tray.
Using a very sharp knife, score an X into the top and then place in the oven.
Bake until the bread is golden brown – about 45 minutes.
If you notice heavy browning on top, loosely cover the bread with aluminium foil.
Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm with butter or alongside a stew (especially if omitting the raisins).