Irish Soda Bread in a Skillet

Even though we’re not Irish, we’d still like to salute the people who kiss the Blarney stone.  Here’s our version of their famous bread.

 

1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  You can also preheat your cast iron skillet if you like.  It will give the bread a nice crust on the outside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. 

 

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. 

 

Mix until smooth.  Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface.  The dough will look like a shaggy mass at this point but just gently shape into a disc. 

Cut a medium size cross on top of the dough.  Don’t cut too deep. 

 

Place the disc in the skillet.

 

Bake for 30 minutes or until the crust feels firm to the touch.

 

Serves 8

Bits & Pieces

 

I chose to use buttermilk for its sweet tart flavor.  The traditional way is to use milk with 1 tsp. vinegar to curdle it.  I used an 8″ cast iron skillet and it worked fine.

This bread has nice crust with a velvety texture inside and tastes delicious…especially when served with cinnamon butter.  If you want a different flavor or something to serve for breakfast, throw in some raisins or Craisins.  Either way, you’ll be pleased with the results.