Tuesdays with Dorie BWJ: Irish Soda Bread
March 20, 2012 at 12:01 am | Posted in BWJ, groups, quick breads, savory things, tuesdays with dorie | 35 CommentsTags: baking, bread, holiday
We may represent six different continents, but this week we’re all Irish in TWD with Marion Cunningham’s Irish Soda Bread. I like Marion Cunningham. I think she seems like a cool lady, and I have a few of her books (the most well-used is The Breakfast Book). But I digress…
I knew that I wanted to have this bread with butter and marmalade on St. Patrick’s Day morning, but I didn’t know how I was going to pull it off for breakfast when it takes almost an hour to bake and then more time to cool. I was worried about making it in advance, because in the book, the recipe intro says it turns “as hard as the Blarney Stone” (which I have kissed, btw) after a few hours. Then I watched the video of Marion and Julia making the bread together…Marion whips out an already-made loaf and clearly says that it had been baked the night before, left to cool completely and then wrapped. So that’s what I did…I made it the night before and it was still perfect the next morning.
This recipe has just four ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk), and the dough is simply stirred together…it’s almost amazing that it turns into bread! I had actually wanted to sneak some currants in my loaf, too, but then I completely forgot about them until the second after I’d scraped the sticky dough into the pie plate. I wasn’t going to mess with it anymore at the point. No matter– the bread had plenty of flavor…a little salty and a little tangy. Like most Irish people I know, my loaf also had plenty of character….I probably could have kneaded a bit more flour into it to make it a smoother round, but I liked its quirkiness just fine.
Don’t wait until next March to make this….it’s so easy and good that it’s perfect anytime. For the recipe, see Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan (it’s also here in somewhat condensed form) or read Carla’s blog Chocolate Moosey, and Cathleen’s blog My Culinary Mission, as they are co-hosting this recipe. Thanks, ladies! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll.
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I was amazed it turned into bread, too! Not too shabby!
Comment by beansylovescake— March 20, 2012 #
Hah, I watched the video, too, and mine lasted overnight plus we’re still going strong. We should all be watching the videos just for the fun of it!
Comment by Necessity is the Mother of Invention— March 20, 2012 #
that looks absolutely divine – especially with the marmalade…
Comment by smarkies— March 20, 2012 #
Maybe I should try this recipe again. My loaf came out kind of salty, but I did love the texture of this bread.
Comment by Judy— March 20, 2012 #
Love the rough & bumpy texture that yours has! Great job and oh boy that last photo is what I wish I were eating right now!
Comment by Gretchen Noelle— March 20, 2012 #
I love your loaf’s character! Looks like a perfect breakfast to me, Steph. 🙂
Comment by Hornedfroggy— March 20, 2012 #
simple, yet beautiful! I enjoy your posts!
Comment by Piebird— March 20, 2012 #
Your bread looks perfect!
Comment by heathersbytes— March 20, 2012 #
I love it plain (without add-ins) so I can schmear all sorts of yummy stuff on a toasted slice. So simple and delicious. And yours turned out so beautiful!
Comment by Karen @ SoupAddict— March 20, 2012 #
I love the picture of your bread smothered with jam. It looks soooo good.
Comment by Baker on the Rise— March 20, 2012 #
Your bread looks delicious, but I love the look of that jam as well!
Comment by yummychunklet— March 20, 2012 #
Your bread looks great! I loved the ease of this recipe. 🙂
Comment by Wendy— March 20, 2012 #
Your first photo is magazine-worthy!
Comment by Teresa— March 20, 2012 #
Yum that last picture made me want more bread! Looks great
Comment by michelle— March 20, 2012 #
What beautiful photos of your bread! Butter and jam/marmalade is the way to go
Comment by Heather— March 20, 2012 #
Beautiful pics & scrumptious looking bread!
Comment by bevwinchester— March 20, 2012 #
The unpretentious look makes this bread so appealing…beautiful photos…
Add in or not, it’s a great recipe!
~ Carmen
Comment by Baking is my Zen— March 20, 2012 #
Mine’s been wrapped in plastic wrap for two days and it’s still soft and chewy… not hard at all! 🙂
Comment by guineapigfood— March 20, 2012 #
Looks good.
It’s amazing how something so simple can work out so well.
Comment by Cher— March 20, 2012 #
Lovely loaf!! I like the craggy surface too; its gives the bread some character. I’m glad I’m not the only one that experience wet dough. I could barely get it onto the parchment, since it kept wanting to stick to my fingers. I very gingerly patted it here and there so that it at least resembled a disk. So glad you were able to have your wish of bread w/ marmalade for breakfast! That marmalade looks good, whatever kind it is.
Comment by Melanie— March 20, 2012 #
Great light on the first pic and the jam looks amazing!
Comment by Treats— March 20, 2012 #
Your photos are really good, and I like the light. Glad you liked it too. xxoo, L
Comment by Lauren's Plate— March 20, 2012 #
Looks wonderful but this bread was not for me!
http://www.imathomebaking.com
Comment by I'm At Home Baking (@imathomebaking)— March 21, 2012 #
i like how rustic the bread looks, it knows that perfect looks aren’t everything!
Comment by Snow L. Winters— March 21, 2012 #
Quirkyness!! Great word. Great looking bread. Mine was really damp/sticky too. but oh so good.
Comment by teaandscones— March 21, 2012 #
That looks like a wonderful breakfast! I wrapped the leftover part of my loaf and thought it was fine the next day too.
Comment by Jill— March 21, 2012 #
I don’t mind that the bread turns hard. It still toasts up with a toothsome crust and soft crumb. Looking forward to pizza rustica!
-Lisa
Comment by Lisa | Dust with Flour— March 21, 2012 #
I love your photo composition.
Comment by cookingjulia— March 22, 2012 #
Your loaf looks wonderful! I really liked this recipe too, so good.
Comment by Amanda— March 23, 2012 #
Your loaf is beautiful! It looks even better with the jam and butter. Amazing how one recipe can produce so many different but gorgeous loaves of simple bread. BTW, thanks for your comment on my post. One of the guests who enjoyed my loaf was my Australian mother…from Sydney also.
Comment by Lynnette aka iluvsweets— March 24, 2012 #
We ate the last of the bread, toated for breakfast, a week after it was made. It tasted wonderful, with the buttermilk taste coming through. So I loved making Irish soda bread, and I love that picture of yours with the marmalade. It looks luscious. Is it homemade?
Comment by Ana— March 25, 2012 #
Great-looking bread! I like that is has character! And I agree, it was delicious with jam and butter.
I love your logo! Did you create it?
Comment by Libby— March 25, 2012 #
Thanks, Libby! I didn’t create my logo. I hired someone to do it a couple years ago, but I don’t think she does them anymore…focusing on something else.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— March 25, 2012 #
Your pictures are beautiful! I loved how simple this bread was also.
Comment by Erin E— March 26, 2012 #
I gave my one year old a slice of it and she kept wanting more…! I suppose that’s the mark of a good loaf of bread!
Comment by Alice— March 31, 2012 #