In this video tutorial I show you how to bake easy Irish soda bread. This is a type of quick bread which uses bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast to rise, so there is no need to wait for the bread to rise.  You can make it with yoghurt instead of buttermilk.

This bread can be eaten just like any other bread, with butter, jam or cheese or however you like to have your bread. You can even dip it in soup. You can add some raisins to this recipe after rubbing in the butter to make raisin soda bread.

Ingredients

• 450 grams plain flour
• 300 ml buttermilk or plain yoghurt
• 50 grams butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 210 degrees Celsius
• Prepare a baking tray with baking baking and put it to one side. I used a Swiss roll tin (about 32cm x 22cm x 2.5cm)
• Put flour in a large bowl
• Add in the salt, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar to the flour.
• Cut the butter into small cubes and add it to the flour mixture and rub the butter in with your hands until all the butter is mixed in.
• Add the buttermilk and mix it in with a wooden spoon.
• When you cannot mix it anymore with the spoon use your hands to knead it in the bowl.
• You can now put a bit of flour on your work surface and shape the bread on the work surface.
• Lift the bread up gently and place it on your prepared baking tray.
• Cut the dough with a knife to mark the bread slices.
• Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until nice and golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and leave on the baking tray for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Serve and enjoy.