Onion Cheddar Soda Bread

This is a delicious and savory bread that uses lemon juice and baking soda as the rising agents. The two ingredients begin reacting to each other in the mixing bowl, so I encourage you to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin. The onion and cheddar (I use extra sharp) give the bread a unique and special flavor.

Onion Cheddar Soda Bread 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk (500 ml)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (40 ml)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (450 g)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 small onion, finely minced
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (200 g)

 

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 425° F. Place your baking tray into the oven to preheat, as well. Measure out and prep all your ingredients ahead (i.e. peel and mince the onion, grate the cheese).

2.    Pour milk into a small bowl. Add the lemon juice to the milk. Stir well and set aside.

3.    In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, baking soda, sugar, dry mustard, and pepper. Stir to combine.

4.    Add the onion and cheese to the flour and stir until combined. It is important to coat the onion and cheese with flour so these ingredients don’t sink to the bottom.

5.    Add 3/4 of the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Use more milk, if needed. Dough shouldn’t be too wet, but all the flour should be incorporated.

6.    With wet hands, place the dough onto a piece of parchment paper or foil and shape into a circle. Cut a deep cross in the top (to let the fairies out). Use any leftover milk to brush the top of the dough.

7.    Using the edges of the parchment paper, set the dough onto the hot baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375° F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when tapped (internal temperature should be 190° F). Allow to cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. 

Notes:

Soda bread often fails because the dough is either overmixed or underbaked. If those two mistakes are avoided, this loaf will come out rich and savory with just the right amount of tender crumb.

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Irish Stew and Irish Soda Bread - 2 Delicious #Recipes

Irish Stew made with B&Z Brown Ale

It's that time of year. March has me wishing for spring, but the winter winds continue to blow something fierce through the woods behind my house, sounding as loud as a freight train. The chilly temperatures call for something hot and hearty. Here's a meal that is sure to stick to your bones and ward off the cold. Enjoy!

Irish Beef Stew

The broth of this stew is so rich and complex that it completely transforms everyday beef cubes, potatoes, and carrots into something extraordinary. I. Am. Not. Joking. I used a brown ale home-brewed by my son (the "B" in B & Z), but any store-bought brown ale will do.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ pounds of chuck beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

4 large garlic cloves, minced

6 cups beef stock (store bought is fine)

1 cup of hearty brown ale

1 cup of good red wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon sugar

½ tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 - 3 bay leaves, depending on the size

3 pounds golden potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

5 - 6 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Sear the beef cubes until brown on all sides. Work in batches if necessary. Crowding the pan will steam the beef, not brown it. The resulting brown bits in the bottom of the pot add lots of flavor to the finished stew. Searing the meat should take about 8 minutes. Remove all beef from the pot and set aside.

Add garlic to the pot and sauté for about a minute. Add beef stock, brown ale, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to simmer. Add beef back to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After meat has cooked for an hour, add potatoes, onion, and carrots to the stew. Simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 30 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in fresh parsley and serve this rich, delicious stew steaming hot.

Irish Soda Bread

Real Irish Soda Bread

Soda bread is a quick bread that uses baking soda as the leavening ingredient, rather than yeast. The buttermilk contains lactic acid that reacts with the soda to make the dough rise. Do not knead this bread. Simply mix, pat into a circle and bake. The resulting "round" of baked bread will be rustic and lumpy. The crust will be crisp and the inside will be dense and chewy. Here's an interesting tidbit: read the oldest known recipe for Irish Soda Bread at the Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread.

Ingredients:

4 cups cake flour (all purpose will also work)
1 ½  teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Directions:

Heat oven to 425º F. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. (I bake my soda bread directly on a pizza stone.)

Combine flour, soda, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually stir in buttermilk, mixing constantly, until dough is moist enough to be gathered into a ball. If dough is dry, add a little more buttermilk, a couple tablespoons at a time, until it's moist enough to hold together.

Place dough on a lightly floured board and pat into an 8-inch round loaf. Don't over handle it to avoid developing the gluten.  
 
Place loaf on baking sheet and slash the traditional, deep "X" into the top of the dough with a sharp knife.

Bake about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Serve warm with soften butter.