In Due Season

In the past few years, I’ve developed a ritual of baking bread during Lent. Not only does a loaf of fresh bread round out a simple meal nicely, but baking bread has become a study in mindfulness for me. It is necessarily a slow process; laborious enough that the finished product begs attention, awareness, gratitude. The delight we feel in eating fresh-baked bread highlights the joy that can be found even in the simplest of foods– a careful working of flour, yeast, salt, and water becomes something so much more than its ingredients. Between high-protein rolls on Ash Wednesday and hot cross buns of Good Friday, bread has become a small way in which our family finds a heightened awareness of our food during Lent.

The time involved in baking bread is not always practicable, of course. Soda bread– both the “traditional” kind and the sweeter “Irish-American” style– is a beautifully simple and quick bread that fits nicely into Lent. While there’s nothing inherently Lenten about soda bread, we’ve made a lot of it during Lent this year (perhaps because St. Patrick’s day falls during Lent, and this is a well-celebrated holiday for us.) Our family particularly loves the sweetened version; it’s a wonderful addition to a meal of soup, and is ready much faster than yeast-leavened bread.

Therefore I present: Soda Bread Two Ways.

(American) Irish Soda Bread

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Just a note: buttermilk is an important ingredient in this bread; it activates with the soda and gives the bread its characteristic texture. If you do not have buttermilk, add 4 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and let sit for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.

• 3 1/2 c flour
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1 1/3 c buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 1/2 c raisins (optional)
• 1 T caraway seeds (optional)

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

You can use the same buttermilk substitute as in the previous recipe. The ratio is 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice per 1 scant cup of milk; in this case, add 1 1/2 Tablespoons to 1 1/2 cups milk and set aside for 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.
This recipe has been adapted from New York Time Cooking.

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, more as needed

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center, and add the milk. Mix gently. The dough should be soft, but not wet and sticky; add more flour or buttermilk as needed.
2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Knead lightly a few times, then shape into a round 1 1/2 inches thick. Place on a greased or lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross into the center (1/2 inch deep) reaching all the way out to the sides.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes longer. Best served warm.