Irish Soda Bread

This is my last shot.  I am going to try to stay on top of the blog one more time.  If I cannot do it I am just going to scrap the whole thing.  Part of why I fall of the wagon is because I hate my pictures.  We just use a point and shoot so of course they won't be as good as some  but when I look for recipes I look mainly at the pictures.  If the picture isn't appetizing then I don't usually even look at the actual recipe.  Another reason is because sometimes I just don't have anything to say about a recipe.  Sometimes I feel like it is quite monotonous.  Yes, the recipe is good.  I encourage you to try it.  Really how many ways can you say that something is yummy?  I started the blog because I like to write and I like to cook and bake.  I need to find that again.

This post inspires me to give it another go.  With the time change it is still daylight when we have dinner.  So we can take the pictures outside and use natural light which I feel gives the pictures a HUGE boost.  So maybe now that my pictures will look a little better I can stay on top of this more.

I have never had soda bread before.  I just thought it looked good and I decided we need it as part of our St. Patrick's Day menu.  I am glad that I gave it a try.  The bread was definitely tasty and had just the right amount of "sweet" to it.  My bread was still a little doughy in the middle even though the toothpick came out clean.  Not doughy enough to ruin it but I wish I would have baked it a few minutes longer.



Irish Soda Bread
Source: Allrecipes

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 F.Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.