The Melaniff Family Cookbook

Irish Soda Bread

From Carol Cutler's Great Fast Breads 1985

The buttermilk can be replaced by live yoghurt or even stout.

Ingredients

3 C all-purpose flour

1 t salt

1/2 T baking soda

1 T sugar

3 T lard, divided, with 2 T melted

1 1/2 C (12 oz) buttermilk, room temperature

Procedure

1. Place all the dry ingredients - the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar - in a large mixing bowl. Stir the melted lard into 11/2 cups buttermilk and put the remaining tablespoon of lard into a heavy 9 inch cast iron skillet and place it in the oven. Pour the buttermilk into the bowl and stir with a fork, if the batter seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of buttermilk.

2. Flour a pastry board, pull the dough onto it, and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Pat the dough into a 8-inch round. Very carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and place the round of dough in it. Use a small, floured knife to cut a deep cross into the top of the dough. Place it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned of crisp. Use a sturdy spatula or heavy pot holders to turn the bread out onto a rack to cool. Cool for about 30 minutes and break into quarters. The bread should be sliced thin. It keeps very well.