Irish soda bread

[Sue]

Hello there - OK so my mum is Irish so I really shouldn't have to ask this BUT does anyone have a fail proof Irish soda bread recipe?
I do not have an Aga (its on the ever growing to do when I have cash list) but I think I can buy a "portable" griddle (like a frying pan but thicker) so I assume I would cook it on that on the hob
I have always loved it and now its worse as the Irish chef Paul Rankin has launched his own and its to die for
Thanks guys - by the way the frogs are fine and the strawberries are ripening. Even my late peas are sprouting not bad for my first attempt.

Tip for you - eat lots of salted pistachios and put the shells around the plants - slugs don't like em - yippee

[IrishAbroad]

Hi Sue

Soda you say... Well we make it almost every day and it never (well almost never) fails...so

(I'll do the metric version )

500g White Flour (or whole wheat for Irish wheaten bread)
1 teaspoon baking soda
good pinch salt
good pinch sugar
Butter milk (or ordinary milk + small pinch of citric or tartaric acid or a teaspoon of lemon juice)

put all the dry stuff in a bowl and mix well. Then add milk until it is the consistency of very very thick porridge. If it's too runny (oops got carried away with the milk) add a little more flour.

Flatten out into big round things (farls in Ireland) about 1.5cm thick and 20cm diameter. Use a lot of flour to stop it sticking.

Now bake SLOWLY on a griddle or frying pan or (for best results) Sunbeam Multi Cooker. The trick is to use a lid as the Soda will rise better and be lighter. Turn when almost golden and bake the other side.

When done let the bread rest for 30 minutes, then enjoy.

Easy!!!

Martin

[IrishAbroad]

Oh and you can use self raising flour too - just forget the baking soda, but I don't think it tastes as good.

And it's much better than Rankins 8)

[Sue]

Thank you so much - now guess who is going to be trawling ebay for a sunbeam - will probably end up with a car!

Thanks again - hope to practice that one very soon
sorry Mr Rankin - you are surplus to requirements

you don't have a potato bread recipe too do you?

[Millymollymandy]

I make soda bread regularly but in the oven so that recipe is interesting.

You can also substitute a pot of plain yoghurt topped up to the required amount with milk with same results.

[IrishAbroad]

Potato bread/Potato farls/Fadge

500g Mashed potato creamed with butter and milk to a normal Sunday roast consistency (try and get fluffy ones not the waxy type - I think it works better)
Good pinch salt
Good pinch sugar
Small pinch baking powder/soda
Enough plain flour to bind (50g I think)

mix well, roll out to about 5mm and griddle just like Soda bread (always slowly)

I'm not sure about the quantity of flour as I've been doing this all my life and just know when the right amount has been added. So feel free to experiment but too little is always better than too much (you will end up with a biscuit with too much )

I have to make some for a party tomorrow night (the french love it - goes great with pastis) so I'll pay more attention to my quantities.

[IrishAbroad]

And if anyones interested...

A good Irish meal - "CHAMP"

To mashed and creamed potatoes add chopped spring onions (scallions).

Put in individual bowls. Make a big dent in the centre and add a lump of butter. Float full cream milk around the outside and serve.

Not good for the heart but great for the soul.