(My First) Irish Soda Bread

Dear Lemon Love Notes,

Not so long ago I came back from an unforgettable trip to Ireland. The green, the craic and the food are still lingering in my mind. Ireland is so much more beautiful than anything you can imagine. I spent my time soaking up the scenery :) (pardon the pun, as we all know what the weather is like in Ireland), meeting & visiting people, and dining out with friends. I have more or less managed to shed the excesses of hearty Irish breakfasts by eating fruit and porridge in the morning.  However, I must confess that I really love my carbs and, more to the point , I am in love with Irish soda bread. Drooling and dreaming on won't be of much help to me, unless I roll up my sleeves and start getting the kitchen dirty. How can I make soda bread? Any tips?

Love xx

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My dear friend,

I was very happy to read your lovely letter. We have so many things in common. Firstly, I must also confess that I also love carbs, and bread especially, but who doesn't? "Bread is the warmest, kindness of all words" as they say it. I would go as far as to say that Irish soda bread encompasses the defining trait of the Irish; you may have noticed how warm-hearted, generous and hospitable the Irish are. Freshly baked bread with butter and rhubarb jam and a cup of tea are a simple treat, a modest meal in itself, but they show the hospitality and good nature of the host. Actions speak louder than words.  Sometimes we might not have much, but sharing what we have with somebody we love, with a neighbour, a friend, or just a stranger makes us so much stronger. Keep the memories alive by making your own soda bread, the easiest thing in the world: flour, buttermilk., soda and lots of love. If it doesn't raise, if it's crunchy at surface but raw inside, try your luck once again until it comes right out of the oven, as practice makes perfect.

 Irish Soda Bread (and a few holiday snapshots)

Ingredients

2 cups of self-raising flour

1 cup of oatmeal flour

1 cup of buttermilk

salt

1 tsp of baking soda

1 sachet of baking powder

onion seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cumin seeds etc

Method

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, seeds, salt, baking soda & powder. Add the cup of buttermilk and knead slightly. Shape the dough into a round and mark a cross on top of the bread. To be creative, you could also sprinkle some seeds on top before sending it into the oven. Bake it at around 160' Celsius for 40 minutes and 180' C for the last 10 minutes. This way the inside

 will be well done and the coat will be crunchy to perfection.  :)

breakfast in KK, Ireland

Irish breakfast @ Langton's, Kilkenny, Co. KK

omelette on Irish soda bread, Langton's, KK

Kilkenny

For my first soda bread I am very happy with the result. Next time I bake soda bread, I will use wholemeal flour.  Perfect with my mother's perfect zacusca (a delicious Romanian dish similar to chutney, bar the Indian spices), a cup of Earl Grey and your loved ones close by.

my mother's perfect zacusca

xoxo