Irish Soda Bread

Steps

• Prep: Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet. Have everything ready before you mix.

  Tip: Genuinely — get the oven fully preheated first. The reaction starts the instant the buttermilk hits the soda and doesn't wait for you.

• Dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. If using the butter, rub it in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
• Dough: Make a well, pour in the buttermilk, and stir with a fork just until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
• Shape: Turn onto a floured surface and knead no more than 8–10 times — just enough to bring it into a rough ball. Flatten slightly into a round about 2 inches thick on the sheet.

  Tip: Resist kneading it properly. Every extra turn develops gluten this bread doesn't want, and wastes gas that's already escaping.

• Bake: Cut a deep cross across the top, about an inch down, and get it straight into the oven. Bake until deeply browned and hollow-sounding underneath.
  ⏱ Start 40 min timer

  Tip: The cross isn't decoration — it lets heat into the middle of a dense round so the centre bakes through.

• Cool: Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes before cutting.
  ⏱ Start 20 min timer