Maud Herlihys Irish Soda Bread Recipes

MAUD HERLIHY'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set in lower third of oven. Lightly butter a 10-inch round cast-iron skillet; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter, sour cream and egg; mix, using a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins, buttermilk, and caraway seeds, if using, and mix until a sticky dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a floured bench scraper, form into a round loaf; using a sharp knife score a large "X" in the center.
• Place in prepared skillet and transfer to oven. Bake until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. If top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover with a piece of parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray.
• Combine dry ingredients in a deep bowl. Gradually stir in 1 cup buttermilk, beating constantly, until dough is firm enough to be gathered into a ball. If dough crumbles, add up to 1/2 cup more buttermilk, 1 tbsp at a time, until it holds together.
• Place on a lightly floured board and pat into an 8-inch flattened round loaf.
• Place loaf on baking sheet and slash a 1/2-inch deep "X" into the top of the dough with a small, sharp knife.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden.
• Serve hot.

GRANDPA MCANDREW'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cast iron skillet.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and sugar. Toss the raisins with the flour mixture until coated. Make a well in the center and add the egg, buttermilk, and melted margarine. Stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a few quick turns just to even out the dough. Handle the dough as little as possible. Pat into a flat circle, and place into the prepared pan.
• Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden.

MARILYN O'REILLY'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and stir well to mix.
• Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients.
• Stir in the caraway seeds if used and the raisins.
• In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber spatula.
• Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.
• Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with plenty of sweet butter and bitter orange marmalade.

IRISH SODA BREAD WITH CHEDDAR AND CHIVES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to break up any lumps of flour. Add the Cheddar and chives. Stir to evenly combine the ingredients. Set aside.
• Add the buttermilk and egg to a 2-cup measuring cup. Use a fork to scramble the egg into the buttermilk.
• Add the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to mix the ingredients until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough until it comes together, about 1 minute. Flip the dough so that it is seam-side down and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to cut a 1/2-inch-thick X on the top of the dough.
• Bake until the bread is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Let cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing.

AUNTIE MAE'S IRISH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch round glass baking dish.
• Mix flour, milk, raisins, sugar, caraway seeds, vegetable oil, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl until dough is not wet enough to pour and not dry enough to handle. Add more milk if dough is too dry. Transfer dough to the baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.

HEALTHY IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar substitute, baking soda and salt; cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk just until moistened. Fold in currants. Knead on a floured surface 8-10 times. Shape into a 7-in. round loaf; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray., Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan to a wire rack.