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I’m a big fan of homemade bread. Quick breads, yeast breads, biscuits–doesn’t matter.
I’ve been making a soda bread for about 25 years that you bake in a springform pan and cut into wedges. It has raisins and is semi-sweet, and a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. It has an almost cake-like texture, but isn’t as sweet as cake.
I’ve also made soda bread with all whole-wheat flour, which makes a much denser consistency. Tasty, but heavy.
This recipe is perfect–a nice crumb, good flavor, and since they’re baked in mini loaf tins, you get a good crunch-to-squish ratio (yes, that’s a technical baking term…)
This one is based on a mid-19th century recipe, when baking soda first became commercially available in Ireland, though whole wheat flour and a round loaf shape are more traditional.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or your hands, work in the butter until it’s in small crumbs and is blended throughout the flour mixture. Stir in the egg and buttermilk. The dough will be wet and sticky–this is normal.
Divide the dough into eight portions and place each in the wells of a mini-loaf pan that you’ve sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when you tap them.
