Celtic
Ireland
Irish
Eire

Irish Soda Bread

Celtic
Ireland
Irish
Eire

Picture of Irish Soda Bread

A selection of different recipes for traditional Irish Soda Bread including: Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread, Wheaten Soda Bread, Soda Bread with Raisins, Treacle Bread and Potato Bread.

Step by step recipes and facts about Irish soda bread. Did you know that Irish Potato bread was originally created as a way of using up the leftovers of mashed potato? or that Buttermilk is used in traditional soda bread recipes instead of milk to give it a more distinctive taste? Easy to follow, delicious recipes for Irish soda bread.

English: Soda Bread

Irish: arán sóide

Ireland Food Index

Irish Soda Bread - History
The image below shows a traditional Irish fireplace from the 19th century. All cooking was done in the fireplace and various pots were used for cooking. Potatoes, Stews and Soups were cooked in large pots and soda bread was also cooked in the hearth. Pots were hung over the fire from a metal crane as seen in the image below. Soda bread was not cooked in an oven as it is today, instead the bread was placed in a pot with a lid and cooked over the glowing embers of a turf fire. The fireplace was the centre of the house, life revolved around the fireplace.

The old Irish proverb ‘níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin’ literally means 'there's is no fireplace like your own fireplace' and the modern equivalent is 'There's no place like home'. The fireplace was used for heating, cooking as well as drying clothes. Music was played and stories told around the fireside. The fireplace was really the centre of any every Irish home! The Irish used turf for heat and fuel for cooking. The turf would be cut by the family during the summer months in the peat bogs which are found all over Ireland. The turf was then dried before being brought home and stored for used during the winter months for heat and throughout the year for cooking. In some parts of Ireland turf is still cut and used for open fires but cookers have replaced the traditional fireplace!

Cooking Image - Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread was traditionally cooked over the fire
in a pot similar to the once shown above (bottom left)

 

Irish Soda Bread  - Gluten Free Traditional Irish Recipes
Unfortunately many traditional Irish recipes are not gluten free but they can be adapted to suit those on a gluten free diet. Soda Bread can be made with gluten free flour and other recipes for soups and stews can be made gluten free. It is important to check the labels of any additives added to food as well, many thickening agents also contain gluten. Gluten-free flour can be made from almonds, rice or corn for example. Gram flour is also a suitable alternative to normal flour which is made from wheat which contains gluten.  Corn starch or eggs are ideal additives to soda bread, they act as a rising agent and give the bread its fluffy texture. Potatoes are gluten free, this is particularly good news as the potato features in many Irish recipes! Potato Starch is a great example of a gluten free additive and is particularly useful for home made soups.

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins Recipe
This Irish soda bread recipe is easy to follow and delicious! Traditionally the soda bread would have been made with Buttermilk, it is more acidic than regular milk and has a distinct tangy flavour and produces a bread with a much nicer texture. The choice is however up to you, don't go to the store just to buy some buttermilk, regular milk will work fine!

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins  - Ingredients

450g All purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
1 teaspoon salt
300ml milk

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins - Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200c

  • In a large bowl, sift in the flour

  • Add the sugar, salt, cream of tartar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda

  • Stir in the milk until a soft dough is achieved

  • Lightly dust the work surface with flour and shape the dough into a circle shape

  • Using a large knife, cut a cross into the top of the bread (to achieve the result shown below)

  • Bake for approx 45 minutes

 

Irish Soda Bread - Wheaten
To make a delicious wheaten or brown version of soda bread, simply substitute the all purpose flour in the recipe with whole wheat flour. It is not advised to add fruit to wheaten soda bread but this is a matter of personal taste. Plain wheaten bread makes an ideal accompaniment for soups. It is also a popular choice in pre dinner bread baskets, served daily in restaurants all over Ireland.

Irish Soda Bread - Treacle Bread
Treacle bread is made in the same way as traditional soda bread with the extra ingredient of treacle! Often the treacle is substituted with Molasses which is very similar. The choice between treacle or molasses is down to personal preference. Fruit is not usually added to treacle bread, again this is down to personal taste.

Irish Soda Bread - Treacle Bread  - Ingredients

1lb All purpose Flour
7fl ozs of Milk (buttermilk can be used according to taste)
2 tablespoons of Treacle or Dark Molasses
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
1/2 Teaspoon of ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda

Irish Soda Bread - Treacle Bread - Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200c

  • Heat the milk and Molasses (or treacle) in a saucepan

  • In a large bowl, sift in the flour

  • Add the sugar, salt, cream of tartar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda

  • Stir in the milk and molasses mixture until a soft dough is achieved

  • Lightly dust the work surface with flour and shape the dough into a circle shape

  • Using a large knife, cut a cross into the top of the bread (to achieve the result shown below)

  • Bake for approx 45 minutes

 

 

 

Irish Soda Bread Image

Picture of a Traditional Irish Soda Bread with Raisins

 

Irish Soda Bread - Irish Potato Bread
Irish Potato bread was originally created as a way of using up the leftovers of mashed potato. It is usually served to accompany a traditional Irish breakfast and is also a popular daytime snack particular in the province of Ulster. Potato bread is usually served warm and buttered, either grilled or fried. Toppings such as marmalade, honey, maple syrup or jam are added for sweetness, an Irish version of the pancake! Potato bread is also a savoury treat, serve with baked beans instead of toast for an Irish twist to beans on toast! Potato bread is also known by a variety of other names including Potato Cake, Fadge, Slims and Tatie bread, it is a very traditional dish. To make Potato bread, a portion of the flour is replaced with potato, the amount of flour replaced by potato depend on taste, a simple recipe for potato bread is below.

Irish Soda Bread - Potato Bread

Picture of a Irish Potato Bread also known as Potato Farls

Irish Soda Bread - Potato Bread
Potato bread is also known as potato 'farls'. It is popular in both Northern and Southern Ireland and is an essential ingredient in the 'Ulster Fry' breakfast famous in Northern Ireland. Unlike soda bread, the dough is rolled out until almost flat, it is then cut into quarters and fried or cooked on a griddle rather than baked in an oven.

Irish Soda Bread - Potato Bread - Ingredients

  • 450 g (16 oz) warm cooked potato, mashed

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter or margarine (melted)

  • 100 g (4 oz) plain flour


Irish Soda Bread - Potato Bread - Method

  • Add the salt and butter to a large bowl

  • Sift in enough flour to make a pliable dough, add more as necessary

  • Divide the dough into four equal parts

  • Roll the dough out on a floured surface creating four circles 22 cm (approx 9 in) in diameter and 5 mm (approx 1/4 in) thick

  • Cut each circle into quarters and bake on a hot griddle or pan for about 5 minutes or until browned on both sides

Irish Soda Bread - Potato Bread - Ideas

  • For a drier bread use a dusting of flour instead of butter to grease the baking surface

  • For a healthier option with less fat, replace the fresh mashed potato with dried potato flakes

 

Irish Soda Bread

  • Irish Soda Bread - Traditional Recipes

  • Types of Irish Soda Bread

  • Instructions and Recipes

  • Food Recipes from Ireland

  • Easy recipes suitable for the whole family

  • Typical Traditional Irish Cuisine

Traditional Ireland Food Picture

 

Irish Soda Bread - Pictures and Videos
Discover the vast selection of different food from Ireland, easy and traditional Irish food recipes suitable for the whole family to enjoy. Including traditional Irish cuisine such as Irish Soda Bread. A step by step guide to ingredients and recipes. Delicious food from Ireland, the Irish people are renowned for their love of good food. The pictures bring to life the different dishes that are associated with this amazing country. A great resource for all ages. Useful as a resource for kids and children of all ages particularly useful for teaching your children to cook authentic Irish cuisine. The videos enable fast access to the images and pictures together with information and lots of examples of different food recipes All of the articles and pages can be accessed via the about Ireland Index - a great fun resource for everyone!

 

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