Irish Soda Bread

We love bread in our house.  You could say that we are "bread-heads".  The best thing about it is that Ellie is a total bread-head as well.  She really isn't too picky.  Its so funny because I will give her puffs, bread, and other foods on her tray and she always chooses the bread first!! I love how she knows and can tell which foods she likes better and is able to choose them - babies are so much smarter than we give them credit for!

Bread can be tricky to make - especially when you are dealing with yeast.  But there is something so good and satisfying when you make your own bread.

Since St. Patrick's Day is in 7 days I made Irish Soda Bread to go with Cheeseburger Soup. It was so good.  And the best part....NO YEAST!! meaning that this is a super simple bread recipe!

Here is how you make it:

ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan (Kerry Gold) 
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading 
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1 1/2 cups buttermilk 
2 large eggs

 directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, raisins (if using), caraway seeds (if using), baking soda, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients to form a dough.

   2.  Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth (it will be very sticky), about 4 minutes; add more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Form dough into a 9-inch round; place on prepared baking sheet. Brush loaf with remaining tablespoon butter. Using a sharp knife, score an X on top of loaf (this helps the bread to cook more evenly).

   3.  Bake until skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack before serving.

YUM!! I hope you enjoy.  It has a slight sweetness and is a "lighter" bread considering its lack of yeast!

♥ Ashley