Irish soda bread is the easiest bread you’ll ever make

Don’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day to make true Irish soda bread. It’s so easy and versatile that you’ll want to have it on hand all year long. With its golden crust and rich, moist crumb, the traditional loaf is far more than an oversize scone or gigantic muffin.

Irish soda bread became a household staple during the potato famine. A loaf stretched expensive white flour with cheap local buttermilk and replaced slow-rising yeast with wonderfully quick soda for leavening. Served warm enough to melt a daub of freshly churned farm butter, it satisfied raging hungers and paired beautifully with a strong cup of good tea.

The original recipes that appeared in the mid-1800s are extremely simple and delightfully unspecific, calling for a “big spoonful” of soda and “as much buttermilk” as needed for a soft dough that’s moister than a pie crust, too stiff to pour, yet not firm enough to roll.

There’s no kneading required; the dough goes straight from mixing into the pan, quick and efficient. How you stir the dough has a big impact on the final results. Use a light hand for a bread that ends up with a craggy, crunchy crust. Add a few folds for a smoother, thinner crust with a higher rise. You choose.

Years ago, this bread was baked over coals in a cast iron skillet producing a crackly golden crust with a pillowy interior. You might find the real thing in a few Irish bakeries today, but you can replicate the same gorgeous loaf in a Dutch oven using very high heat. A true “hearth bread,” Irish soda bread should be sturdy enough to sop up a bowl of stew, mild enough for aged cheddar and stout, and tender enough for bitter marmalade and cream tea.

Makes 1 large loaf or 2 smaller loaves.

Golden, tender and rich, this not-too sweet bread is as delicious with dinner as it is toasted for breakfast. No reason to wait for St. Patrick’s Day. This bread is so easy, quick and delicious that you’ll want to have it on hand all year long. For added flavor and color, sprinkle a handful of dried cranberries on top before baking. From Beth Dooley.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover the bottom of a deep cast iron pan or Dutch oven with parchment paper. (No need to trim it.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in the buttermilk until the dough is moist and no pockets of flour remain. Scrape the sticky dough into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula into a rough round shape. Score into quarters with a sharp knife.

Cover and bake until the loaf has risen and has started to become golden, about 45 to 55 minutes (it should be hollow when tapped). Remove the lid and continue baking until the crust darkens, about 12 to 15 minutes longer. Remove and invert onto a wire rack, discard the parchment paper, and turn the loaf right side up to cool about 30 minutes.

Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.