Starring Cheddar Rosemary and Roasted Salted Pepita
I first tried Irish soda bread was when we were traveling in Ireland and Scotland. We were there during the late fall/early winter season. The weather was very unpredictable. It would get pretty chilly even if the sun was out. It became the norm for me to order Irish stew just to warm myself up at any restaurant. The stew was great, but the bread that came along on the side was what amazed me.
It wasn’t a fancy bread, but that buttery crunchy crust with a dense but still soft inside that made me take one bite after another.
Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, Buttermilk are the standard four in any soda bread. I made two flavors this time, cheddar rosemary and roasted pumpkin seeds. There are also many more flavors you can discover.
Don’t overmix your dough, because you will want to avoid a hard/chewy bread.
I divided the dough into two. Mixed pepita seeds into one and chopped rosemary with cheddar cheese into the other.
Divided each dough into five small pieces. Cut an X on each dough, about 1/4 inch deep, then brushed with buttermilk.
Before the bread even comes out of the oven. Mr. J already walked into the kitchen asking what is that wonderful smell. They are great with soup or stew but also goes well with a cup of tea or coffee as a hearty breakfast.
