From larchmontbuzz.com
On March 17 everyone gets to have the luck of the Irish. Or at least the food, usually while being decked out in emerald green garments, as part of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Often, even the food is decked out in emerald green. Think green bagels and beer. It’s a raucous day of celebration!
As my way of celebrating I went old school traditional with this favourite of food specialties from the Emerald Isle, Irish Soda Bread and then added a modern vegan twist. Dating back to the mid 19th century, soda bread became a necessary staple to replace sustenance during the potato famine and years following, as it used a few simple, affordable ingredients mixed with water. Since those times of hardship, more decadent additions such as butter, buttermilk, sugar and raisins have been added. This is the Irish soda bread we have all come to adore here in the states. Rich and a tad sweet.
My new school vegan version replaces the animal derived dairy with plant based dairy thanks to excellent vegan butter options now available at all markets and an easy hack to make homemade soy buttermilk. The result is a golden crisp exterior giving way to a lightly sweetened, tight crumb that’s dense yet moist and creamy. Dark raisins add a chewy component and bit of tangy sweetness. I just might replace my morning scones and muffins with morning slices of Irish soda bread. Especially served warm slathered with butter then chased with a strong cup of Joe.
Using a cast iron skillet bakes the bread beautifully.
For novice bakers, this is a great recipe. Everything is mixed by hand.
Do give this modern take on tradition a try for a bit of luck. It’s so-bhlasta! (tasty in Gaelic)
Chef’s Tips:
Cast Iron Skillet: I opted to bake the bread in a cast iron skillet. It gave the exterior a gorgeous golden crust. Lodge cast iron pans are very affordable if you don’t already own one. Follow online instructions to season the pan. You can also bake the bread on a parchment lined baking sheet. Baking time may differ.
Vegan Butter: All markets, even Target and Trader Joe’s, have plant-based butter. Use the brick version vs the butter in the tub. It’s firmer. Miyokos is a particularly good vegan butter. It comes in salted and unsalted. I used salted as it’s what I had on hand. I cut back the salt to 1/2 tsp. Use a full tsp if using vegan unsalted butter.
Vegan Buttermilk: It’s so easy to make vegan buttermilk. Simply add lemon juice to your favorite plant-based milk. I prefer soy milk as it emulsifies best. Higher fat content will give you a richer bread.
Baking Soda: Make sure it’s fresh! Put a spoonful in a dish and pour a bit of white vinegar on. It should bubble up profusely. If it’s flat or just a bit fizzy, toss and replace. Your baked goods won’t rise with stale baking soda.
Raisins: I prefer the strong fruity taste of dark raisins in this recipe. Golden raisins will be delicious, too. I recommend the small raisins, not the jumbo varieties. Of course, currants are a traditional option, though harder to find. For a modern take, use dried cranberries.
Irish Soda Bread
You will need a 10 or 12 inch seasoned cast iron skillet (see chef’s tips) or a heavy baking sheet lined with parchment paper as well as a large mixing bowl and assorted measuring implements.
3 1/2 cups (420g) all-purpose flour. I used unbleached
3 T organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp salt. Increase to 1 tsp if using unsalted butter
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cold salted vegan butter, cut in cubes
1 cup dark raisins
1 1/2 cups vegan buttermilk. Recipe follows
Flour for kneading bread
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle. I like to give my oven at least a half hour to come to full temperature. I find baking is more even. Time making the soda bread around that.
Make the buttermilk and let sit to thicken while prepping the rest of the bread
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Rub the cold butter cubes into the flour mixture until small pea sized and incorporated
Add the raisins and mix in well
Add the buttermilk, stirring up gently, with a rubber or silicon spatula, until incorporated,
The dough will be a bit sticky. Cover the bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
Flour a work surface. Flour your hands. Gently knead the dough for about a minute, until smooth, and form into a round loaf. If very sticky add a bit more flour. Place round loaf in the cool skillet (no need to preheat as in cornbread) or on the parchment lined sheet pan if using.
Place round loaf in the skillet and then carve an X into the dough.
Cut a one inch deep x in the top of the bread using a floured sharp knife.
Let the bread sit and rest for 15 minutes.
Place in the oven. Bake 40-50 minutes depending on your oven. Check at 30 minutes for browning, If it’s getting too brown you can lower the bread to the bottom third of the oven and/or cover lightly with a piece of foil. The bread should be golden brown when finished. You can tap the bottom as well. It will sound hollow when done.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Move to wire rack to fully cool. You can also serve warm though it might be a bit harder to cut.
Keeps a few days in plastic on the counter. For long term storage I recommend slicing and freezing.
Soy Buttermilk
4 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Plain soy milk
Put the lemon juice in a 2 cup measuring cup. Add enough soy milk to make 1 1/2 cups. Stir up. Let set on counter for 10-15 minutes to thicken. Refrigerate covered if not using right away.
Ingredients for a vegan Irish Soda Bread
No comments:
Post a Comment