What makes the perfect Irish soda bread?
Yes, St. Patrick's Day is over. But after having some wonderful, soft yet tangy Irish soda bread with satsumas and European-style butter at Wegmans' (sorry, I didn't make it myself) it occurred to me how many different ways this treat can be made....
It can be bitter, with caraway seeds....
It can be served soft and warm...or rather hard, like a biscuit...
Plain..or with raisins or currants...
Butter, jam, or naked...
It's such an individual thing, what is 'good' soda bread, so what is your Platonic version of this treat?
I'm partially Irish but American enough to admit that I prefer it softer, with a more crumbly texture, sweeter, and with butter and raisins...
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8 Comments:
I swear by the Cook's Illustrated recipe - buttermilk, an egg for tenderness, 1/4 c sugar for increased sweetness, and yeah....a full cup of raisins,which I always plump first in hot water.
Not all of us like the caraway, but I think it adds a hearty dimension.
We like to lightly toast it the next few days, with soft butter. There's hardly a better mate for your morning cup of coffee....
moibec at 9:05AM on 03/18/09
I'm not even a smidge Irish, so I can't pretend to be an authority. But, the Irish girls at work seem like my version. No caraway but with raisins, on the softer/crumblier side. Served with butter and this year I offered some marmalade. Yum!
meem21 at 11:27AM on 03/18/09
I am definitely Irish. My supervisor came in yesterday and asked why I wasn't wearing any green, and I had to remind him that I automatically wear green everyday. When I lived in Ireland I got a Celtic tri-knot in shades of green tattooed on my lower back. :)
For me, I try to make soda bread about once a month as a treat. I found a terrifict whole wheat version from a totally random cookbook that I think that my mother won as a door prize back in the day. My favorite version is to dress it up with some crushed walnuts and dried mixed fruits (the ones that you can get from Sun-Maid and a lot of people use for snacks). I just mix in about 2/3 to 1 cup of each. The dryness (I love that part) of the bread really gets balanced by the moisture provided (oddly enough, it might seem) by the fruit and the walnuts add a great texture. I once did it the same way, but with pistachios, which I also liked, but there is something about walnuts that I just adore.
Traveller at 12:07PM on 03/18/09
I think the key to good soda bread is not overmixing, then you'll get a tough, lump of rock hard bread.
This year I tried Cooks Illustrated's Oatmeal Walnut, and I put in dried cranberries. It turned out awesome, and with the oats and whole wheat flour fairly healthy. I'm also partial to the "American" version that is sweeter and with more add-ins.
Definitely great smothered in butter! What I really like about soda bread is how close it tastes to yeast bread, but comes together very quickly, and there are so many variations to choose from, that with a good base recipe, can turn out a great treat with minimal effort.
bobcatsteph3 at 12:07PM on 03/18/09
like bobcatsteph3 said-don't overmix it,
i make mine just like moibec (raisins, buttermilk, egg) in a cast iron skillet.
i think it's best hot out of the oven with butter (and a little salt), but moibec's also right about it being an excellent coffee accompaniment!
gastronomeg at 7:55AM on 03/19/09
I like "Noreen Kinney's Irish Soda Bread" which you'll find over at epicurious.com. Nifty historical background included. Aggressively whole grain - 'bout time to make some for breakfast indulgence, but it's also sturdy enough for sandwich bread.
gentlyferal at 6:54PM on 03/19/09
On the sweeter side with currants, warm and buttered. Mmmmm.
buffy at 4:29PM on 03/20/09
Out of curiosity, anyone have a recipe that makes a sweet soda bread with a nice crust and scone-like texture?
They've been selling them at my local Whole Foods lately and they're delicious but not worth it at 5$ a pop.
Anyways, I like the sweeter kind of soda bread. It's basically an excuse to eat sugar with dinner.
jazzinx at 6:48PM on 03/20/09