Traditional Irish Soda Bread

🧂 Ingredients

1 pound all-purpose flour (Irish brands such as Odlums can be purchased on Amazon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda (You can purchase on Amazon or substitute with 1 teaspoon of baking soda
12* ounces buttermilk (if you can get it, use Jersey buttermilk from Jersey cows)
Author's Note: If desired, a handful of raisins or currents can be added to the mix.

1 Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2 In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and bicarbonate of soda. The
bicarbonate of soda may have lumps: if it does, use a sieve to break them up and
sprinkle into the mix, or use the palm of your hand to break up the lumps.
3 Make a well in the center of the bowl (clear space in the middle). Pour in
buttermilk. Using your hand in a claw shape, place in the well of buttermilk and
begin to stir outward, thus mixing the buttermilk with the dry mixture. Stir
until combined. *If dough is overly dry, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of
buttermilk.
4 Flour a countertop or work surface. Place the combined mixture on top. Do not
knead. Instead, "tidy it up" with your hands, pat around it, then flip it over.
Tuck the dough underneath all around add a tad more flour if needed. Dough
should be about an inch and a half thick.
5 Place on a thin baking pan. Cut a deep cross on top of the dough--this is the
"blessing", but practically it helps the loaf cook through. Prick the four
corners to "let the fairies out" (optional but why not?!). Place in the oven
immediately.
6 Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack. Slather with good Irish butter, such as
Kerrygold.
7 If you do not wish to make from scratch, you can purchase Odlums soda bread mix,
both white and brown, and it will still be delicious.