recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-03-11
From: Paddy.Montreal

Irish Soda Bread, from a recipe by Clare Connery

1 lb. plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1-2 oz. sugar
1-2 oz. butter
14-16 fl. oz. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. and put in a baking sheet to heat.

Mix the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, and rub in the butter until well dispersed throughout. Make a well in the center and pour in almost all the buttermilk at once.

Mix with a broad-bladed knife, working very quickly and gently until all the dry flour has been drawn together to form a spongy dough, a bit like a thick porridge.

Turn into a lightly greased tin, leaving the surface rough but level. Sprinkle generously with whole wheat flour, set on the hot baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, reducing temp. to 400 deg. F. and baking a further 40-45 minutes.

The bread is cooked when a tester, skewer, comes out clean. Leave in the tin until cool before turning out and completely wrapping in a kitchen cloth to store.