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Spring is in the air here in LA. The trees are flowering, the rains are dying down, and every single hillside is covered in green. It’s the prettiest time in the city and for some reason the tourists haven’t found out yet. Don’t tell ok? It’s this time of year, and the coming St. Patrick’s Day, that always gets me thinking about soda bread. I’m Irish on both sides of my family but my ancestors have been in North America for so long, save my Swedish great great grandmother, that any semblance of culture from their country of origin was long gone before I showed up. All I have left is my red hair, ghostly complexion, and a love of soda bread.
The first loaf of bread I ever baked was soda bread and it gave me the confidence I needed to try other kinds of baked goods. It comes together fast, thanks to the baking soda, which is what causes the bread rise, instead of yeast. Think of it like a loaf of biscuit bread. It has a different texture than your typical loaf- somewhere between biscuit, bread, and a biscotti before the second bake- but this is a strength. Soda bread is it’s own thing. I think it taste perfect lightly toasted with a smear of nondairy butter and jam on top, peanut butter, banana, and a drizzle of agave, or some maple butter if you can get it. It’s a bread to serve with something like baked beans or tofu scramble as part of a breakfast for dinner spread. It’s not ideal for a sandwich but you could make some fun tartines with it. And I can’t stress this enough, it really shines at breakfast. The taste has a pancake essence to it which means it belongs to the morning hours and really comes alive when parred with a little fat and a lil something sweet. Throw a slice under the broiler for a light, one sided toast, then smear away.
What you lose with its more delicate crumb you make up with the speed in which this loaf comes together. You can go from thinking about a loaf of soda bread to having one cooling on you counter in an hour. That’s why I think everyone should know how to make this. One day soda bread will save your brunch plans. You’ve just got to give it a chance. If you are a nervous baker like I was, this is the bread for you. Plus, we can now cook this together.
Get your ingredients ready and hit play on the recipe podcast below.
Seedy Spring Soda Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Active cooking time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 1 hour
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