This week I was going to give you my Grandmothers Irish Soda Bread recipe, but I when asked Herself (as the matriarch of our sprawling, brawling Irish family is known) she was surprisingly adamant that it not be shared on the internet. Not being a fool nor willing to cross Herself, I had to scramble and find this recipe for Scottish style soda bread. The biggest difference between Irish style breads is the lack of raisins or currents.

Scottish Buttermilk Soda Bread

This bread is interesting in that it has no yeast and does not require kneading, but is not a “short” or “quick” bread. All of the rising is accomplished by buttermilk and the baking soda. It makes a single loaf.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
½-teaspoon baking soda
½-teaspoon cream of tartar
¼-teaspoon salt
1-teaspoon sugar
1-tablespoon butter, at room temperature
¾ cups buttermilk, at room temperature

Cookware: One baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal or flour

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and sugar. Either with you fingers or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, work the butter into the flour until it resembles rice or really small peas.

Slowly add the buttermilk. If the dough is too moist to handle without sticking, dust with flour. Again, no kneading is needed, just be sure the ingredients are well mixed.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and shape into a 8” diameter loaf with a slightly flattened top. Place on your prepared cooking sheet. Using a sharp knife or a razor blade, cut an X in the top of the loaf, about a ½” deep.

Place the cooking sheet on the middle shelf of the hot oven (it should pre-heat at least 20 minutes to have an even heat) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaf is a lovely golden brown. To test for doneness, turn the loaf on its side and tap with a finger. If the sound is hollow and hard, the loaf is done.

Place loaf on a wire wrack to cool. This bread is best when served right out of the oven, but it also freezes quite nicely and makes excellent toast.

The flour is yours.