St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday 3/17. In my Irish-American family, corned beef and cabbage is a thing but soda bread is probably our strongest food tradition. Friends and family will start asking about the bread a few weeks in advance to make sure that someone is making it.
Irish soda bread is a quick bread, meaning no kneading or rising like a yeasted bread. It comes together much like a scone but this version is baked in a boule (bowl) shape. We have always used a heatproof Pyrex glass bowl. Lightly toasted and buttered, it is HARD to put down.
This recipe comes from my grandmother Mary Ellen Harrington, but my great auntie Mary McElligott’s soda bread ran a close second.
Caraway seeds are important to this bread’s flavor (think rye bread), but some people really hate them, so I’ll reluctantly leave them out for those poor souls.
If you make this recipe, please let us know how it comes out! Tag us on IG or FB!