Soda Bread: So easy a monkey can do it

What do you do when you need bread for dinner and it’s 6:oo, and your husband doesn’t have his cell phone, so you can’t make him pick up a loaf on his way home?  Make this soda bread!

soda_bread

I made this last night for dinner, and it was delicious.  A nice crunchy exterior with a soft interior.  I had to make a few changes to the original recipe since my kitchen is pretty far from being well stocked at the moment.  I added some dried thyme to make the bread a bit savory.  If you leave out the thyme, this bread would be great plain with a spread of butter and some honey.  Raisins would make it a nice breakfast bread.

The orginal recipe is here on allrecipes.  Here is my altered recipe.

Soda Bread

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cast iron skillet.  Use some bacon grease if you have it!
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center and add the egg, buttermilk, and melted margarine. Stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a few quick turns just to even out the dough. Handle the dough as little as possible. Pat into a flat circle, and place into the prepared pan.
  3. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden.