Recipe: Soda Bread

Soda Bread and Homemade Stew

Well - ok - it might be a day late... but I didn't want to share the recipe until after I had a chance to make it and make sure it was worthy of sharing.  It's got all the elements of goodness: easy, tasty, simple to change based on mood, goes well with about anything.  Who ever thought a recipe for soda bread would be good?  Sure - maybe it's not a recipe for veggies - but it sure goes good with them and homemade stew with potatoes from your root cellar.

The list of basics is almost too easy:

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2-4 tablespoons "stuff" (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking-soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (about) buttermilk (feel free to use the powdered kind)

Steps

Determine if you want to add "stuff" to your bread.  It could be raisins, lemon and orange juice and zest, caraway, poppy seeds, honey...  you name it!  This bread is a simple canvas for your food needs - add whatever you think you might like.  Obviously if it's "wet" - decrease the buttermilk portion by that amount.

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Mix flour, "stuff" (if you feel in the mood), baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add enough buttermilk so it's clumpy and you can form a ball.  Turn out onto lightly flour surfaced and knead until the dough stops flaking and is a single blob - a minute or two.  Shape dough into round flat thing that's about 2" thick. Flip it onto a baking sheet and cut a 1/2" deep X in the surface right to the edges. Bake until bread is golden and sounds hollow when thumped on bottom, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer bread to rack and cool.
If it's still a little warm - serve with organic butter from you butter bell and REJOICE!

Comments

[Jeph]

Hunh, wonder if this would be a good way to use up that buttermilk in the fridge, which I think has an exp date of two weeks ago?!