How to Make Irish Soda Bread

There’s nothing quite like a thick slab of Irish soda bread slathered with butter—be it St. Patrick’s Day or just any old day.

Step 1: Sift Sift four cups of bread flour into a large bowl with your baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Step 2: Add buttermilk Pour buttermilk into the dry mixture, stirring until dough is formed.
Step 3: Knead dough Flour a clean, dry surface and knead the dough for one minute.
TIP: You can add any dried fruit, nuts, or seeds to the bread before you knead and bake it.
Step 4: Halve the dough Cut dough in half with a sharp knife.
Step 5: Shape With your hands, shape each half into a round ball and place it on a greased baking sheet.
Step 6: Mark it Make an X into the top of each loaf with a knife, going about half an inch deep.
Step 7: Bake Bake the bread in the middle rack of a 350-degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes.
TIP: When a knife stuck into the middle of the loaf comes out cleanly, the bread is done.
Step 8: Cool Put your soda bread on baking racks to cool.
Step 9: Serve Serve with lots of butter and—what else—a nice cuppa tea.
Step 10: Eat Eat it up! Irish soda bread gets stale in a few days.
FACT: The 'soda' in Irish soda bread refers to baking soda being used in place of yeast.