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Irish Soda Bread

© Nita Daniel

In college, we were staging a production of Translations by Brian Friel. One of the props was Irish Soda Bread. Clearly, we could have crammed some day-old white bread into the actors' hands to munch on, but a couple of nights we baked soda bread.

I'd never heard of the stuff. So, as props gal, I stashed myself at a friend's house, expensed some ingredients and started cooking. I was OK up until the part where I formed the loaf. You don't stir with an implement. I mooshed it around with my hands and then transferred the soggy mass to the baking sheet.

It was delicious.

I've done other soda breads since then. It is one of my favorite quick breads. According to Epicurious, soda bread is:

A QUICK BREAD that is LEAVENED with baking soda combined with an acid ingredient, usually buttermilk. IRISH SODA BREAD is the best known of this genre.

One of the traditional names for Irish Soda Bread is Spotted Dog. It's often made with currants - or their less expensive cousins, raisins. For any of the recipes below that call for either of these items, also try using cranberries, diced apple, apricot, or other berries or dried fruit.

A lot of the time, for me, the yeast is what backs up the other flavors in the bread. Irish Soda Bread, now, while yeastless, doesn't lack for flavor. Now that I think about it, I chalk it up to light handling and good ingredients. Go ahead and use real butter (not margarine) and buttermilk.

Soda Bread on the Web

• White Soda Bread (Epicurious)
• Brown Soda Bread (Epicurious)
• Whole Wheat Soda Bread (The Kitchen Detective)
• Whole Wheat Soda Bread
• Basic Soda Bread
• Irish Soda Bread (Epicurious)
• Fat Free Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Whole Grain Soda Bread
• Sesame Whole Wheat Soda Bread (Epicurious)
• Walnut Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Soda Bread with Herbs
• Honey, Lemon, Lime and Blueberry Soda Bread
• Spelt Soda Bread

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