Irish Part 1--Soda Bread

To those of you new to Grandma Cooks 365, here's a primer: I was raised by Grandma and Grandpa. They literally sacrificed their retirement to give me a good upbringing. They never said a word about it, which made it that much more amazing and now that I look back as a parent--all the struggles, stress, and hard work (but joy mixed in there too!)--I realize what they had done for me. I won't belabor the point, other than to say I was truly blessed!

With that little preface, let me say that there were days I'd come home from school and the entire house was filled with a fragrance so wonderful, I thought I was in a 5-star restaurant. Now I didn't know what a 5-star restaurant was at that time, but the smell was so heavenly that that's what I imagined a 5-star restaurant would smell like (even to this day, since I don't frequent them! LOL). 

There is a restaurant here in town--an Irish pub (and not a 5-star either!)--that my husband and I love to visit and whenever we go in there the smells are familiar and wonderful. That smell throughout our house back when I was growing up was Irish Stew and Irish Soda Bread! I found Grandma's recipe and I'm happy to share it with you!  We'll start out with the bread today. Tomorrow we'll give you the stew! 

You've got to try both of these (hopefully together) so that you can smell exactly what I'm pontificating about today! The aromatics are unsurpassed, but isn't that what cooking is all about? Start with the smells. Pull it all together (remember--no fear!) and you will be elevated to "awesome cook" status before your dear children venture out to live their lives. Hopefully, somewhere along the line you've made an impact on them. They will remember the smells, the tastes, the joy around the kitchen table.  

So here is: Irish Part 1--Soda Bread. This is so easy and other than getting the sticky dough off your fingers, it's effortless! Now you don't have to make the Irish Stew along with this-- you can try it on its own and you'll be convinced this is a keeper for any hearty meal! Enjoy!

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
14 ounces buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425F and grease and flour a cake pan.  

In large bowl combine all dry ingredients and sift through a sieve. Add buttermilk and form a sticky dough. Place on floured surface and lightly knead a couple of turns but not too much or the dough will be tough. Shape into round flat shape, put in greased cake pan, and use a sharp knife to cut a cross on the top of the round of dough.  Cover the pan with another cake pan (like a lid) and bake for 30 minutes.  

Remove the cover and bake for additional 15 minutes. When done, the bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped. Cover the bread in a damp dish towel to keep the loaf moist. Slice thickly, butter, and serve with Irish Stew.