Irish Treacle Soda Bread Recipes

AMAZINGLY EASY IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 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 until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

RUSTIC OAT & TREACLE SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and grease a baking sheet. Put the flours, oats, bicarb and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Tip the yogurt into a jug, add enough water to make it up to 400ml and mix well. Stir the treacle and honey into the yogurt mixture until they dissolve. Pour onto the dry ingredients and stir with a round-bladed knife until you have a soft, sticky dough.
• Tip onto a lightly floured surface and lightly form the dough into a round. Lift onto the baking sheet, cut a deep cross in the dough and sprinkle with oats. Bake for 30 mins or until the crust is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Soda bread should be eaten the same day, or toasted the next.

TRADITIONAL IRISH TREACLE BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Pre-heat oven to 200c/400f.ligth dust a flat baking sheet with flour. Leave the tin of treacle in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes, this will help soften treacle and make it easier to spoon out of tin. Heat the treacle and butter milk in a low heat just slightly warm .
• 2. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add sufficient liquid to mix ,to a soft dough then onto a floured surface and lighting knead. Shape into a round circle, place onto the flat baking sheet and make a cross on top of dough with a knife.
• 3. Place into pre-heated oven and bake for about 40 minutes. Treacle bread is a traditional Irish favourite. When baked the bread will have a hallow sound if trapped on the base. cool on wire tray for 5 minutes.
• 4. Then get a clean ,dry tea towel and wrap the treacle bread up in it, this will help to give a softer crust on your bread..
• 5. NOTE= when completely cooled serve with a spread of butter and a cup of tea....:)

IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C and dust a baking sheet with flour. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it in quickly with a table knife, then bring the dough together very lightly with your fingertips (handle it very, very gently). Now shape it into a flat, round loaf measuring 20cm/8in in diameter.
• Put the loaf on the baking sheet and score a deep cross in the top. (Traditionally, this lets the fairies out, but it also helps the bread to cook through.) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. If it isn't ready after this time, turn it upside down on the baking sheet and bake for a few minutes more.
• Transfer to a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel (this keeps the crust nice and soft) and leave to cool. To serve, break into quarters, then break or cut each quarter in half to make 8 wedges or slices - or simply slice across. Eat very fresh.