Irish Soda Bread, Happy St. Patricks Day
There is a wee bit of Irish in my lineage, my Dad was Italian and my Mom French/Scottish Irish. Every year for St. Patricks Day my Mom made something green, now I love the color green, but with the exception of vegetables I don’t necessarily like to eat food that is colored green unless it is a result of the natural color of the ingredient used in the recipe. It always made me chuckle when we would all sit at the breakfast table to green biscuits or eggs. This recipe is not green but soda bread is Irish by origin. The recipe comes from my friend Cynthia, The Solitary Cook and Boulangere on Food52. I have always been challenged when it comes to biscuits but have overcome that with a great biscuit recipe, I have made soda bread a few times and it is not usually light and fluffy it’s heavy and hard. I noticd this one when it was featured last week and when I saw that it was one of Cynthia’s recipes I knew it had to be good, she is an extraordinary cook, baker and person. The bread has potatoes, beer and yogurt for moistness, which sounded really good to me, as my soda bread tends to be on the dry side. She used celery and scallions in her version but I chose to skip the vegetables and make it plain. I also thought it would be fun to make mini loaves that bake faster and are smaller in size. Cynthia calls her recipe Nouveau Irish Soda Bread it is not your traditional soda bread, I have never seen a recipe that uses potatoes but it works and works really well yielding a flavorful and super moist loaf. It is however exactly what I wanted, light, moist and delicious. The title is linked to the original recipe on Food 52 and I am posting the recipe as I made it.
This is the best soda bread I’ve had, really good even the next day. I didn’t have fingerling potatoes so I used what I had which was red new potatoes skin on. The potatoes were mashed with good Irish butter (Kerrygold). When at the store I saw some Irish smoked salmon and thought it would be nice with the soda bread and some homemade creme fraiche. Delicious!! I’m currently hosting a lovely couple from England in my air bnb space and they brought some wonderful Whittard tea as a gift. The afternoon tea is fantastic very similar to an Earl Grey tea with a beautiful perfume and flavor. Highly recommend if you can get your hands on some. I thought my good friends at Fiesta Friday #163 might enjoy, so I’m bringing you a wee bit of Irish Soda Bread!!
Nouveau Irish Soda Bread
Recipe by Cynthia, boulangere on Food52
Makes 1 round loaf or 3 smaller individual loaves
4 fingerling or small potatoes cleaned and sliced (enough to yield 1/2 cup mashed potatoes) (I used small red potatoes with the skin on).
2 tbs butter (Kerrygold)
1 tsp fine grained sea salt or kosher salt
Cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place in a saucepan with cold water to cover and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until quite tender, about 15 minutes. Drain using the pan lid to hold back the potatoes, and add butter to the pan. Mash in the pan with a hand masher. Set aside.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp fine grained sea salt or kosher salt
4 oz greek whole milk yogurt, used Fage plain whole milk yogurt
4 oz Irish lager type beer (Didn’t have Irish Lager so I used a local Brooklyn Lager)
1 tbs honey
While potatoes are cooking heat oven to 400 degree’s.
Sift the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the potatoes, yogurt, beer and honey to the dry ingredients, stir with a spatula or wooden spoon just to blend. Scatter generously some flour on work surface and dump the dough onto the work surface. Form into a ball being careful not to overwork the dough. When it’s a nice round shape transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Using a sharp serated knife cut an X on top of the loaf or loaves.
For one larger loaf bake 40-45 minutes until a deep brown and when tapped it should feel bouncy not soft or wet. For individual loaves bake 25-30 minutes approximately.
Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Soda bread with smoked salmon, creme fraiche and dill.
apuginthekitchen 
Smoked Salmon…one of my favorites
When we get together to meet at the Diner I order a bagel with cream cheese and lox garnished with capers
🍀🍀Happy🍀St🍀Patrick’s🍀Day🍀🍀
🍻
Happy St Patricks Day and yes a bagel with cream cheese and lox is one of my favorites as well. Have an awesome day!!
happy Day!
Have a gorgeous day!!
I almost forgot…
A 💋 to Percy…
And to Sami❤💋💋💋
Thank U!
Lovely!
Thank you so much Lina!!
LOL… I love “Irish Percy”… Maybe that’s what leprechauns really look like… 😉
Irish soda bread is one of my favorite parts of St Patrick’s Day, Suzanne and this one is gorgeous. I never thought of putting a non-sweet with it, like salmon, but horsefeathers! That looks delicious. Happy St. Patrick’s Day my friend. Mega hugs.
Happy St Patricks Day Teagan, LOL, yes I like to think that Percy’s exactly how a leprechaun looks, I had fun with the Leprechaun me app!! I love soda bread and love with jam and butter with a cup of tea but have to say it was wonderful with the salmon as well. Hope you enjoy your day and thank you again,
Haha Suzanne, you make my day! I just have a daydream to make a soda bread. And your post quickly pops up in front of me. Thanks so much. 🙂
Yes Mochi, I want to see your vegan version. I always love seeing you create such beautiful and delicious vegan recipes. Thank you so much.
I used to bake soda bread years ago. I like your version, especially with the salmon on it. Happy St. Patrick’s day
Thanks Gerlinde, every year I try a different recipe but from now on this is what I will use it’s that good. Thank you an Happy St. Patricks Day!!
To you and particular to Percy “Sláinte”. Beautiful soda bread but sadly, cannot get all the right ingredients here. So, please think of me when you enjoy this 🙂 🙂
Thank you and Sláinte to you as well!! It is a lovely recipe if you can get your hands on some of the ingredients. Happy St Patricks Day!!
Yum! I love your kind of Irish soda bread instead of the hard version. Now, where is the corned beef and cabbage? Percy looks ready to party! Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Suzanne and Percy. Enjoy the tea. It sounds marvelous, too.
Thanks Mary, no corned beef and cabbage but now I’m thinking I should run to the store, It’s cold and I am hunkered down in the house and nothing would be better than having a cup of tea, some soda bread and a good Western novel from one of my favorite authors, I need to get another of your books from the itunes store. Percy and I wish you a Happy St Patricks Day!!
Well, I think reading would be a great idea! 🙂 I’m hunkered down too. Snow and rain is on the way, again. Be safe!
Yes we have more snow tomorrow and Sunday stay safe and warm and keep those beautiful stories coming❤
Planning on it, Suzanne. 🙂 Keep warm.
Perfect timing! I almost bought a loaf of Irish soda bread at Wholefoods yesterday but was:
A. Concerned it would be too dry
B. Concerned it was more than I could eat
Hence, concerned it would go to waste.
I love the sound of your version of Cynthia’s recipe and if time allows, will make to go with my lamb soup tonight. I bet it freezes too?
What fun to have an Air BNB!
Lucky pats on the belly for Percy!
Hi Stacy; I have 2 small loaves in the freezer. It does freeze well. It’s very simple and takes almost no time at all to make. Thank you Stacey and Happy St Patricks Day!!
Happy St Patrick’s Day! The bread sounds really good 🙂
Thank you so much Elaine, Happy St Patricks Day!!
Percy’s looking very dapper 😉
Thank you Elaine, hope Bob is doing well!!
I love Irish soda bread! I’m hoping to make some this afternoon. Yours looks incredible, especially with smoked salmon! And I love Kerrygold butter too.
Thanks Jenny I use Kerrygold almost exclusively when I bake, it’s such good butter. Thank you and Happy St Patricks Day.
Ha! I love that Percy is showing off his Irish lineage too. That bread does indeed look amazingly soft and tender. Too many soda bread recipes just gave it a bad rap. I’ll definitely be trying this recipe. Happy St. Patricks Suzanne and Percy!
Thanks so much Julie. Ha, Percy is a wee bit Irish!! The soda bread is incredibly moist and delicious, I think that the potato really makes it special. Thank you again and Happy St Patricks day!!
Happy St. Patricks Day! Great recipe for this day, or any other this year, looks very tasty!
Thank you so much Chef.
I love learning about your parents, Suzanne. Y’all have such rich culinary backgrounds. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and dear P. Love y’all! em
Thanks Em, Mom became Italian by default but still couldn’t help but show her heritage from time to time. Hope you have a great day and gave Percy a kiss from you,
Hello Suzanne, I am *waving* from a wet and wind Emerald Isle and sending you St Patrick’s Day greetings. Percy looks splendid! The soda bread looks and sounds delicious and I love your idea of having smoked salmon and cream fraiche as a topping. xx
Oh I was hoping you would stop by, thank you so much. Waving back to you in the beautiful Emerald Isle, I think that if I every visited Ireland I would end up staying. The salmon and creme fraiche was wonderful on the bread.
I am new to Irish soda bread. This recipe looks like a real winner,…looks very inviting too!
Mmmmmmm. A new try for me. Thank you!
Thanks so much Sophie, it is delicious.
Lovely Suzanne! Happy St. Patrick’s day!
Thanks so much Lynn and hope you are well.
Thanks dear!
Looks lovely, Suzanne!! Happy St. Patrick’s day 🙂
Aww!!! Percy looks so cute!
Thanks so much Freda.
This sounds so delicious, potato is so good in dough, it’s how I make focaccia and I love the texture. I will have to try this one. Thanks Suzanne and have a great weekend.
Thank you so much and agree 100% adding potato to bread dough makes for some of the best bread ever.
Happy Belated St Patrick’s Day. Percy looks adorable, as always 🙂 Suzanne, your Irish Soda Bread, sounds amazing….I must say I have never made a bread with potatoes but really am keen to try. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hugs for Percy 🙂 Have a great weekend. 🙂
I love using potato in bread, the dinner rolls I make use potato and when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. It is the most wonderful recipe that yields such a delicious and moist loaf. Thank you so much.
This looks like a great recipe for a non-baker. I just might try it.
Tracey 🍀👸🏻
Hi Tracey and thank you, it is a wonderful recipe. The best soda bread I’ve ever made.
What gorgeous little bread loaves! I hope you and Percy and a lovely St. Patrick’s Day!
Hi Kathryn and thank you so much. Percy and I had a great St Patricks day.
Happy Green !Happy St Patrick Day, dear Suzanne – by here, there are some Irish shops – with comfortable knitties – and good things to eat and drink – Every friday, fresh scones –
Bises et amitiés – quelle bonne idée, bread and vegetables – 🙂
Merci France and thank you so much. I love Irish knits and food and Ireland is one of the countries at the top of my list to visit.
This is a beautiful-looking loaf of bread! 🙂
Thanks so much Nancy.
Honestly this looks so much better than traditional soda bread! 🙂
It’s really wonderful thanks so much Mollie.
Yummy! Does it come with the pug and the pint??!? Thanks!
😂😂😂but of course❤
I love Ireland, been there a few times, so good to know you have a wee bit of Irish! Haha gree things again,… I’m sure they were delicious though. This is going to be a stupid question, but why is it called soda bread? Is it because of the baking soda?
Hi Sofia, yes it’s called soda bread because of the baking soda and this is the only leavening agent used in this bread. It really is a wonderful and simple bread. Thanks so much.
HI Suzanne! I’ve had the same soda bread disappointments as you– but this does sound perfect with the beer, potato and yogurt. Kind of a more tender gentler version! And it’s so pretty in your photos!! I want to give it a try! thanks !
I made soda bread today. One loaf was perfect, the other wasnt
Really what happened with the second loaf? Did you use this recipe?
No just a plain soda bread, but from a cookbook that does failproof recipes. Both i had to leave rest for a while because of toddler, but the second one much longer. Perhaps i kneaded it too much too, im used to working with yeast
I know what you mean, I had to learn that the soda bread like biscuits need a light hand. I’ve had many fails more than successes.
I found a website sodabread.info which gives tips like how i make my scones, in a cake tin, then wrap with a teatowel. Might try this next time
That sounds interesting hope you put in the blog!!
We were in London for St Patty’s day this year. It was so fun. This bread looks delicious.
Thanks so much Michelle, I’ve never been to London, it’s on my bucket list along with Ireland.
This seems like a hell of a bread, Suzanne! My friends will love it!
Thank you so much Agness, it is one hell of a bread. Moist and delicious. Thank you so much.
This is definitely worth a try, Suzanne! And oh, that Percy! He sure knows how to strike a pose!
Thanks so much Angie, yep that Percy really got into the wearin of the green this year. Thanks and the bread is awesome.
I saw a few bread recipes using potatoes in them & this recipe was a trigger for me. I made this lovely bread recipe & it was superb in form & flavour too. MMMM,….perfect bread it was! X
Potato realy makes a tremendous difference in not just the moistness but the flavor. Bread made with potato is a favorite of mine, thank you so much Sophie.