Thursday, March 17, 2011

Speaking of GREEN

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
from Massachusetts: the State claiming the largest  Irish heritage, at 23%.
No wonder the meat cases at the grocery stores are so packed with corned beef, and cabbages adorn every end cap.  Corned beef isn't going to be in our oven this year.  We will be eating braised ROAST beef, with all the boiled Irish dinner fixings.  I tip my hat to you, Irish potato farmers from the past.
*
It should be no surprise, then, to discover that while driving home from the grocery store yesterday, I happened upon an NPR program dedicated to The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread.  As the founder so emphatically stated, there is truly only one true form of Irish Soda bread.  In keeping with the spirit of everything Irish, we will be attempting the making and baking of this Irish staple.

Traditional White Soda Bread

From: The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread

(Jesse Costa)
(photo by: Jesse Costa)
Ingredients
4 cups (16 oz) of all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
14 oz. of buttermilk (or really sour milk)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°.  Lightly grease and flour a cake pan.
In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients.
Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough.  Place on floured surface and lightly knead (too much allows the gas to escape).
Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top of the dough.
Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates thebastible pot).  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped so show it is done.
Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.

Luck of the Irish be with us! (and also with YOU)

7 comments:

Becky said...

Let me know how you like it...if you do.

LL said...

GO GREEN!

shirlgirl said...

Buttermilk is the milk left over after churning butter. Sour milk is milk that has gone beyond its expiration date and turned sour. These are two different entities. Also, if you want to "sour" milk, use a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk. Makes a cake nice and moist.

Jo Jo said...

Yum! I wish I had energy this year to do something fun

Doran & Jody said...

Can't wait to get some in the mail....wink

Courtney said...

I love Irish Soda Bread. It is one of the foods I miss most from my time over there.

Happy Paddy's Day!

Alana said...

Zach told me to check out your blog.. hint hint. I think I'll be trying this recipe this year as opposed to my wheat one.