This is simple, and good. Serve it with stew for dinner, or add some currants or dried cranberries and serve it for tea. I also like it for breakfast with a cup of strong Irish breakfast tea. In any case it is best eaten hot, cut into wedges and spread with butter. There is no substitute for the buttermilk in this bread, as it contributes all of the flavor and is essential to the texture.
This recipe is very special to me – it is my great-grandmother’s recipe. Her name was Helen Kiley and she was a 1920s flapper from a Chicago Irish family. She died before I was born but my mother got the recipe from her, and would make it on occasion while I was growing up.
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cup currants or dried cranberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients, and add the dried fruit if using. Make a well in the center, and pour in the buttermilk. Mix it up with a fork until a loose dough is formed; knead a few times in the bowl until it comes together in a cohesive mass. It will be sticky. Form into a round loaf shape, put on a greased pie plate or cake pan, and cut an X on the top with a knife. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown. Eat right away.
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