Grandpa McAndrew's Irish Soda Bread

99 Ratings
  • 5 Rating Star 56
  • 4 Rating Star 28
  • 3 Rating Star 12
  • 2 Rating Star 2
  • 1 Rating Star 1
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My mom bugged grandpa for this recipe but he told her he didn't have one. So, when he made the bread one day she captured each ingredient in a bowl and measured it and put it in the bowl he planned to mix it in!

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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cast iron skillet.

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  • In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and sugar. Toss the raisins with the flour mixture until coated. Make a well in the center and add the egg, buttermilk, and melted margarine. Stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a few quick turns just to even out the dough. Handle the dough as little as possible. Pat into a flat circle, and place into the prepared pan.

  • Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
254.66 calories; 6.95 g protein; 47.62 g carbohydrates; 4.04 g fat; 24.48 mg cholesterol; 152.53 mg sodium.Full Nutrition

Reviews (85)

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Most helpful positive review

Anonymous
03/17/2003
Yummy! This one was so incredibly quick and tastes great. I actually didn't have buttermilk so I substituted 1 cup plain yogurt (what the Joy of Cooking suggests as a substitution).
Helpful
(177)

Most helpful critical review

Anonymous
03/18/2011
I was so looking forward to this recipe because it had raisins. I made no substitutions except to put water on my hands to knead it because it was so dry it would not adhere together. My husband said it needed baking powder also. He made two of the other Irish soda breads and they were fab. I will try this again using some of the suggestions but I was very disappointed.
Helpful
(3)
99 Ratings
  • 5 Rating Star 56
  • 4 Rating Star 28
  • 3 Rating Star 12
  • 2 Rating Star 2
  • 1 Rating Star 1
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Anonymous
01/27/2004
Please ADD SALT a little will do you just fine. The first time I made this it was a total flop. One dash of salt could have saved this recipe. Second attempt with 1/2 teaspoon of salt MUCH BETTER.
Helpful
(247)
Anonymous
03/17/2003
Yummy! This one was so incredibly quick and tastes great. I actually didn't have buttermilk so I substituted 1 cup plain yogurt (what the Joy of Cooking suggests as a substitution).
Helpful
(177)
Anonymous
03/16/2011
Well Grandpa McAndrew must've been one heck of a guy because this is one heck of a good Irish Soda Bread! I do however think that when "Mom" was copying down the recipe she did forget to add the salt...a little bit is all you need. I chose to add 1/2 tsp. I like my soda breads a little sweeter so I doubled the amount of sugar to 1/4 cup. After I formed the bread I lightly scored it and brushed it with an egg wash. I popped it the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and baked it at 375 for about 45 minutes. This is a great recipe for traditional Irish soda bread - perfect warm with butter served with a cup of tea!
Helpful
(150)
Anonymous
01/27/2004
This recipe was extremely easy and took very little time. It was too powdery looking but tasted okay. I made another one using 3tbls of margarine. It looks better but I believe brushing the top with egg white and water would give it a glazed appearance. It is very heavy and slightly sweet. I served mine with whipped cream cheese.
Helpful
(70)
Anonymous
04/11/2003
This is a wonderful recipe and it came out perfectly with the additions from the two prior reviews. However I did something else different....since i cannot eat eggs I substituted 1 tablespoon of baking powder 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil instead of using the one egg....it was WONDERFUL!!!! Thanks guys!
Helpful
(70)
Anonymous
03/25/2006
A perfect fast recipe. I've made it twice and it's been great both times. I usually like to fool around with ingredients but there's no need to with this one. Good stuff!
Helpful
(57)
Anonymous
10/31/2005
This is a very easy to make wonderfully moist bread! I topped the bread with a melted butter & powdered sugar frosting.
Helpful
(39)
Anonymous
08/26/2003
Sent looking for a simple irish soda bread minus the carroway seads (sp) but with raisens and this one fit the requirements. Used golden raisins just because that is my preferance in baking..
Helpful
(34)
Anonymous
03/25/2004
I used olive oil instead of margarine and soy milk instead of the buttermilk. I also added salt and it was pretty good! We ate almost the whole loaf right away.
Helpful
(34)
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