Irish Soda Bread is a rustic, quick bread famous for using sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as its leavening agent instead of yeast. It requires minimal kneading and is traditionally baked in a round shape with a cross scored on top.

Prep Time	Cook Time	Serves
10 minutes	45 minutes	8-10 slices

Part A: Ingredients

• Flour: 4 cups All-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour for a traditional, denser loaf).
• Leavening/Salt: 1 tsp Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of soda), 1 tsp Salt.
• Fat: 2 Tbsp Cold Butter, cut into small cubes (optional, but adds richness).
• Dairy: $1 \frac{3}{4}$ cups Buttermilk (essential for reacting with the soda).

Part B: Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Dry Ingredients

1. Preheat your oven to $425^{\circ} \text{F}$ ($220^{\circ} \text{C}$). Dust a baking sheet lightly with flour.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. If using butter, cut the cold butter into the flour using your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Step 2: Mix the Dough (Quickly)

1. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk all at once into the center.
2. Using one hand shaped like a claw, quickly mix the liquid and dry ingredients together. Do not overmix. The dough should come together into a shaggy, slightly sticky ball in under 30 seconds.

Step 3: Shape and Score

1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently and quickly shape it into a round loaf (about 7 inches in diameter). Handle the dough as little as possible to keep the bread tender.
2. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet.
3. Using a sharp knife, score a deep cross into the top of the loaf (about two-thirds of the way through). This ensures even baking and, traditionally, releases the air trapped by the fairies.

Step 4: Bake

1. Bake for 15 minutes at $425^{\circ} \text{F}$ ($220^{\circ} \text{C}$).
2. Reduce the oven temperature to $400^{\circ} \text{F}$ ($200^{\circ} \text{C}$) and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
3. Cool on a wire rack. Soda bread is best eaten warm, sliced thick, and slathered with butter.