Breads

Traditional White Soda Bread (The Spotted Dog)

15 mins
Prep
35 mins
Cook

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Ingredients

  • 450g plain white flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 75g sultanas or raisins
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 350ml buttermilk

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Sift the white flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the caster sugar and sultanas until evenly distributed.
  3. Whisk the beaten egg into the buttermilk.
  4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-buttermilk mixture. Bring the dough together swiftly using a butter knife or your hand until a soft dough forms.
  5. Turn onto a floured surface, shape gently into a tidy round, and place on your tray. Cut a deep cross into the top of the loaf.
  6. Bake for 35 minutes until golden. Serve warm, sliced thickly, with a generous spread of salted Irish butter.

A lighter version of traditional soda bread made entirely with plain white flour. Known affectionately in Irish households as ‘Spotted Dog’ when raisins and a touch of sugar are added, creating a cross between a loaf and a giant scone.