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Last year I received this copy of theIrish Pantry, by Noel McMeeland the first thing I made was Irish Soda Bread.
Of all the cookbooks I receive to review, Irish Pantry by Noel McMeel has hit my soul most deeply. His book is invigorating, which is not a typical cookbook description. His passion for the home kitchen and his childhood memories of cooking in his Irish homeland resonates with how I feel about the relationship of food and family.
I’m not Irish, but I can’t put this book away. It’s beautiful or should I say handsome. The cover is warmly colored and is bound in such a way that it feels hearty.The photography is simply stunning.
A lot of talent and effort has gone into the cookbook, Irish Pantry. The book doesn’t have many recipes I’m familiar with which made me love even more. Irish Pantry is mainly focused on traditional breads, preserves, condiments, and some sweets, and lots of recipes that make delightful food gifts.
Irish Soda Bread is Dreamy with Irish Butter
I know very little about Irish food, except for Irish cream and soda bread, and dreamy Irish butter. I was captivated with the stories of Noel’s growing up in Ireland and talking about having lots of homemade shortbread, which was considered a staple in his home growing up. They often sent guests home with food gifts, jams, chutneys and probably shortbread.
The book is filled with recipes calling for Irish butter like Buttery salted caramel sauce and Savory Whiskey Butter with Shallots and Kosher Salt, as well as lots of recipes for breads, like the family Barm Brack, which I”m sure when slathered with Irish butter makes all dreams come true.
I am also drawn to the recipes for spicy lemon confit, homemade Irish cream, blue cheese pecan crackers. I don’t think there’s another cookbook that addresses simple farm food in this elegant, earthy manner.
You not only fall in love with the food, and the photography, Noel’s voice comes through and you know you would feel comfortable sitting at the table with him, eating a simple Irish soda bread with a homemade preserve.
I’ve chosen probably the most simple recipe in Irish Pantry, traditional soda bread, because it’s an Irish staple and this recipe is make on top of the stove in a cast iron pan, looking back to the 18th century, a time when only the wealthy had ovens. Dairy was typically plentiful, and the Irish wheat was soft.
The introduction of baking soda gave the common home cook the ability to bake on top of the stove. I made sure I used White Lily Soft winter wheat flour. It does make the difference in keeping the soda bread light and more authentic.
Soda bread only takes between 12 and 16 minutes to cook and a few minutes to prep, only there is no fat in dough and they are denser. It’s mainly flour, buttermilk and baking soda. The smell of the dough reminded me of Southern biscuits, only the flour is heavier and there is no fat in the dough.
The texture is denser, and the outside crispy. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I felt like eating these was better than green beer. I made them into 4 pieces, the second time going more traditional, cutting into 4 triangles known as farls.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Soda Bread.
The full printable recipe is below. Irish soda bread dough comes together in about 10 minutes. You need buttermilk, egg, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and butter. Whisk buttermilk and 1 egg together.
The most traditional doneness test calls for thumping the hot bread in the center to hear if it's hollow-sounding. A more foolproof indication is temperature; the loaf will register 200°F to 205°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the center of the bread. Let the bread cool.
Soda Farls are very easy to make. You only need 4 ingredient; flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and buttermilk. You simply combine them all together, being very cautious with your mixing and kneading – like Soda Bread, Soda Farls need a light touch.
If you feel like you have to knead the dough together, don't knead more than 5-6 times, max. Too much kneading will create a hard dense crumb on the bread. Rule of thumb with no yeast breads, the less kneading the softer the crumb.
Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.
Soda bread in Ireland, which you may see referred to as brown soda bread, tends to be heartier, more rustic fare, featuring wholemeal flour, a different product than our whole-wheat flour. The currant- and caraway-studded version is more common in the United States.
And finally, don't immediately cut into the Fast Irish Soda bread when you pull it out of the oven. Although this bread is best served warm, cutting into it too quickly will turn the bread gummy.
If your Irish soda bread is too crumbly, it may be because you overmixed the dough. Another possibility is that your baking soda was expired and should be replaced. Make sure you are using the correct amount of baking soda in the recipe. Too much or too little can result in a crumbly loaf.
It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.
The "griddle cakes", "griddle bread" (or soda farls in Ulster) take a more rounded shape and have a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The griddle cake or farl is a more flattened type of bread. It is cooked on a griddle, allowing it to take a more flat shape, and it is split into four sections.
Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.
Irish soda bread has a couple of other names, too: When we attended a class at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland, they made this loaf and called it a Spotted Dog. It's also called white soda bread, American Irish soda bread, or fruit soda bread.
It's important not to use too much baking soda in recipes, as it can result in a metallic, soapy flavor. It is much more powerful than baking powder – you only need about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour to leaven baked goods.
Note that the dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough). You want to work it just enough so the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-work the dough the bread will end up tough.
Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.
The main difference between sourdough bread and soda bread is in its leavening agent – sourdough bread rises due to the gasses released from yeast and bacteria fermentation, while soda bread rises from the gasses produced during the chemical interaction between baking soda and acids in the dough.
I was always told that the cross on the top of Irish Soda Bread was to symbolize the Catholic faith of Ireland, and the Gaelic Cross. Some say it kept the Devil out, but that is what a cross is supposed to do also. Turns out that is true but more importantly, it helps in the baking of the bread.
Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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