Hands down, my favorite holiday is St. Patrick's Day. I love the shenanigans that are allowed from kids to adults. It's just a fun day of merriment for everyone with leprechaun traps, wearing green, pinching, and of course, green beer!
And while the Irish are not known for their food {although that is certainly changing!} there is something that cannot be disputed - Irish Soda Bread is the crown jewel of baked goods!
For as long as I can remember, my mom has baked Irish Bread for every holiday, birthday, or random Friday. It was definitely comfort food in the Lynch House growing up.
As I got older, my mom passed on the tradition of baking her Irish Bread to me. Now whether it was because she no longer wanted to deal with the sticky dough on her hands...I'm not sure! However, I loved that she passed on the special job of creating something my family loved to me.
Today, I'm sharing her recipe with you. I'm sure this easy to make bread will become a staple in your home, too. There are just eight simple ingredients.
To begin, you need a good cast iron skillet. Make sure to grease it well with some butter.
Cut the softened butter into your flour.
Then, mix all the rest of your dry ingredients.
Then, slowly add in the room-temperature buttermilk.
Now I'll be honest, for years I hand-kneaded the dough {and then picked little pieces out of my fingernails and rings for hours after!} I'm here to let you in on a little secret - using your Kitchen Aid mixer will produce the same exact results...and you won't get {as} dirty!
After a minute or two of mixing, everything should stick together in a big clump. Next, you'll dump the dough into your cast-iron skillet. Your hands will get a little dirty here when you drop the dough into your buttered cast iron skillet.
Use your fingers to smooth the dough around the edges of the skillet. Drop a small amount of buttermilk on top of your bread and smooth it on top of the entire loaf. This will give your bread a nice golden hue as you bake it.
Bake the Irish Bread for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.
Then, bump up the oven to 400 degrees for the final ten minutes. This will finish it off crispy, golden edges.
Immediately, take your bread out of the oven and let it cool.
It's best to enjoy your bread with Kerrygold Irish Butter. Trust me - it's worth the extra calories {and a couple of bucks!)}
Irish Soda Bread makes great toast, too!
Let me know if you try it!
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