Traditional Irish Soda Bread
3 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1¾ cups buttermilk*
*Although the recipe can be made using regular milk, the taste and texture are much better if you use buttermilk.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a round cake pan (8- or 9-inch).
In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk and mix quickly. Add in remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and mix. Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead for only a few seconds to make sure it holds together. Shape into a round disk and place in the prepared cake pan. Cut a cross into the top of the bread. Cover with another inverted cake pan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove top cake pan and bake an additional 15 minutes. When bread is d
