Irish Soda Bread Could Bring Luck

According to the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread, March is national Irish soda bread month. Having never been a big fan of soda bread, I decided I should try it again in honor of St. Patrick’s Day and Irish cooking.

While its origins have long been associated with Ireland, Irish soda bread can actually be traced back to the American Indians who used pearl ash in their breads to assist in the rising process.

For the recipe, both and carry King Arthur brand flour, but neither has Cabot brand cheddar cheese. I used a regular sharp cheddar cheese of a different brand.  

Cabot Cheddar Soda Bread

2 1/2 cups King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pats
8 oz. Cabot sharp or extrasharp cheddar, grated; about 2 cups lightly packed
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8-inch-square or 9-inch-round pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter, working it into the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Toss in the grated cheese. Mix the buttermilk and egg, and add to the dry ingredients, stirring until everything is just moistened. Scoop the sticky dough into the pan, using your wet fingers to spread it to the edges of the pan. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Its internal temperature at the center will be close to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the bread from the oven, and loosen the edges with a table knife. Wait five minutes then gently turn it out onto a rack to cool. This recipe yields one loaf.

To try out the recipe, I brought the soda loaf to  art gallery in Dexter.

Linda McMichael and John Dazy happened to come into Artistica when I was passing out samples.

“My goodness, this is very good," Linda McMichael said.

Residents Pam O’Hara and Lisa Zahra both confessed to being “butter nuts,” but each felt this recipe was good even without butter.