This traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Day-worthy soda bread gets a little something extra-special from the addition of shredded Irish cheddar cheese and tart dried cherries. Added bonus, there’s no need to cut any butter into the dough either, which means that it’s extremely quick to make and pop into the oven.
If you were to ask me what my absolute favorite thing about being a food blogger is, you might be surprised by my answer. It’s not about cooking, baking, spending hours on end in the kitchen cleaning up the always unbelievable mess that I’ve created, or even the chance to share my extreme love of food with others. Instead, it’s about the opportunity to share my own personal story with others through food. Today is just one example of this. I have always loved St. Patrick’s Day. The food, the music, the beer, and the mass amounts of flair covered in shamrocks and four-leaf clovers have always been something dear to my heart. Unfortunately, for the last three years, there has also been a little bit of sorrow attached to this holiday for me as well. You see, my brother’s birthday was only a few days before St. Patrick’s Day, so each year I am now reminded that he is no longer here to celebrate either of these special days with me.
Yesterday, as I was gazing out of my kitchen window while cleaning up yet another pile of dishes, I noticed the shamrock plant sitting next to my kitchen sink. I had given it to my brother for St. Patrick’s Day the year he passed away as a house-warming gift. The fact that he even managed to keep it alive for the six months that he had it was in itself a miracle. My brother was notorious for pretty much killing any plant or animal that he had. To be fair, this plant even had me worried for quite a bit of time over the past few years. There were times when things were seriously touch-and-go and leaves were falling off willy nilly with no regard whatsoever for my tears. I’m happy to report, that after much babying, and eventually repotting, my brother’s shamrock plant is once again lush, full, and covered with some of the most gorgeous white blooms imaginable.
So, what does all of this have to do with soda bread? Not a whole lot really. It’s just me doing that thing I love to do best; sharing my story and trying my best not to blubber while doing it. In this case, that story isn’t just about how my brother managed to somehow not annihilate a plant but also about how much he dearly loved bread. For you see, to him a meal was not a meal if there wasn’t bread to go along with it. Ironically, I actually wrote about just that on the last birthday he was alive when I shared a recipe for Apricot Irish Soda Bread with all of y’all. See folks, that right there is why I keep writing, keep baking, keep cooking, and keep cleaning up pile after pile of dirty dishes. There’s no telling what stories I share with y’all today will become something I cherish in the future. Who knows, perhaps years from now, I’ll look back on this post and fondly remember that cherished shamrock plant and how beautiful it was before I eventually found a way to do it in. If that’s the saddest thing I have to look back on, I’ll gladly take it.
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 Cups Irish Cheddar, Shredded
- 1/2 Cup Dried Cherries, Chopped
- 1 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- Use a silicone spatula to mix in the cheddar and dried cherries.
- Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds or until the dough comes together into a ball.
- Pat the dough into a circle and then place it onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Slice an X into the top of the soda bread to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is cooked through.
- Brush the entire loaf of bread with melted butter.
Suggestions:
- Dust your hands with a little bit of flour before kneading the dough to prevent the dough from sticking to them.
- Do not over-knead the bread. You just want to make sure that all of the flour and ingredients are incorporated.
- Tap on the loaf of bread to determine whether or not it is finished baking. It should sound hollow when it is cooked all the way through.
- At first, it may seem like there is way too much melted butter when brushing it onto the baked loaf of bread, however, it will soak in rather quickly.
Improvements:
- Add a teaspoon of caraway seeds to the bread dough.
- Replace the dried cherries in this recipe with other dried fruit, such as dates, figs, or apricots.
- If you don’t have Irish cheddar available, replace it with white cheddar or any similar cheese you may have on hand.
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 Cups Irish Cheddar, Shredded
- 1/2 Cup Dried Cherries, Chopped
- 1 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Melted
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- Use a silicone spatula to mix in the cheddar and dried cherries.
- Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds or until the dough comes together into a ball.
- Pat the dough into a circle and then place it onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Slice an X into the top of the soda bread to allow steam to escape.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the bread is cooked through.
- Brush the entire loaf of bread with melted butter.
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Buttery Apricot Buttermilk Soda Bread
Soda Bread with Whiskey-Soaked Golden Raisins
St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect holiday to bake a warm crusty loaf of no-yeast bread. So, for those of you that suffer from a healthy fear of all things yeast, here are seven original recipes to accompany your traditional Irish fare that require absolutely no yeast. And, as a bonus to several recipes for delicious soda bread, you’ll also find a few mouth-watering recipes for crescent rolls, muffins, and scones to help you celebrate the special holiday. CLICK HERE for the recipes.
- Chocolate Guinness Cake from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Chocolate Irish Cream Truffles from The Freshman Cook
- Celtic Knot Rolls from Cooking with Carlee
- Colcannon from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Colcannon with Kale from Simple and Savory
- Corned Beef and Cabbage from Tip Garden
- Double Chocolate Fudge for St. Patrick’s Day from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Fisherman’s Pie from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Dublin Coddle from All That’s Jas
- Irish Cheddar & Dried Cherry Soda Bread from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Irish Potato Leek Soup from House of Nash Eats
- Irish Pub Salad from Cookaholic Wife
- Irish Soda Bread Muffins from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Irish Soda Bread Scones from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Leprechaun Bait from Palatable Pastime
- Pretzel Shamrocks from Family Around the Table
- St. Patrick’s Day Luck Chow from Soulfully Made
