"Aran Soide"

Irish Soda Bread

As St. Padraig's Day nears, my mind is filled with longings to see the homeland of my ancestors.  Along with that comes my natural craving for traditional (not Americanized) Irish food.  And of course, it all begins with Aran Soide or Irish Soda Bread.  A simple, common staple that originated in the countryside cottages in the 1840's, soda bread is simple, versatile and delicious. It is such a beloved food that there is actually a website called, "Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread" (and yes, they have a Facebook page!)  Because of the general poverty of the Irish during the 1800's, soda bread consists of basic ingredients; flour, sour milk, salt and baking soda (instead of yeast) as the leavening agent.  Before baking, a cross was cut into the top of the loaf to ward off the devil and protect the household.  The bread is shaped for baking according to the region the bread is made in;  in the Northern regions the bread is flattened and cut into triangles, then cooked flat on a griddle.  In the Southern regions (my family hails from County Cork) the bread is formed  into a round loaf.  That is how I do it...and the results are beautiful.  Listed below is the traditional recipe that I have followed for years.  Some recipes call for raisins or currants....I prefer to omit these little tidbits.  This recipe comes from the Ardtara Country House in County Londonderry.  Because of the hardness of American flours, it is recommended that cake or pastry flour be used to achieve the desired texture of this delicious bread.  Try this recipe, get a stick of Kerry Gold Butter...and ENJOY!

4 cups cake or pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease 9-inch round cake pan.  Sift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt together in large bowl.  Stir in sugar.  Make a well in the center, add buttermilk and with a fork, work the milk into the flour until a soft dough is formed.  Turn into prepared pan and bake 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 45 minutes.  Do NOT over bake or the bread will be dry!  Cool slightly before slicing.

Picture courtesy of IsabellaCatalog.com