Amy Volstromer
Summer for the Irish American Club this year is a memorable one, as 20 of our club members departed June 8 for a 14-day Grand Tour of Ireland! Some of the trip’s highlights included visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Kilkenny Castle, Cliffs of Moher, the Blarney castle, along with many more special places.
For those of us who want to experience a little of Ireland closer to home, summer is a great time to visit the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Irish Library, owned by the city of Phoenix, holding a collection of works related to Celtic culture and genealogy. You can find information on their website at azirish.org.
Summer is also a good time to experiment in the kitchen. Maybe you want to learn how to make Irish Soda Bread? Irish Soda Bread is a quick bread that does not require any yeast. Here’s an easy recipe.
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) buttermilk*
1 large egg (optional, see note)
4 and 1/4 cups (531g) all-purpose flour, plus more for your hands and counter
3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed*
optional: 1 cup (150g) raisins
Instructions
1. Preheat oven and pan options: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). There are options for the baking pan. Use a regular baking sheet and line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (bread spreads a bit more on a baking sheet) or use a seasoned 10-12 inch cast iron skillet (no need to preheat the cast iron unless you want to), or grease a 9-10 inch cake pan or pie dish. You can also use a 5-quart (or higher) dutch oven. Grease or line with parchment paper. If using a dutch oven, bake the bread with the lid off.
2. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until the butter is pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the raisins. Pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until the dough is too stiff to stir. Pour crumbly dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can, then knead for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
3. Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet/pan. Using a very sharp knife or bread lame, score the dough with a slash or X about 1/2 inch deep.
4. Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45-55 minutes. Loosely tent the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F (90°C).
5. Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature, or toasted with desired toppings/spreads.
Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. We usually wrap it tightly in aluminum foil for storing.