---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.01
 
     Title: Irish Soda Bread #1
Categories: Breads, Irish
  Servings:  8
 
  3 1/2 c  Flour                             1/2 ts Bicarbonate of soda
    1/2 ts Sugar                           1 1/4 c  Buttermilk:  to 2 1/2 c *
    1/2 ts Salt                           
 
  * You will need somewhere between these two amounts of buttermilk,
  depending on how much liquid your flour tends to absorb. Try to avoid
  using regular milk: if you must, use baking powder instead of bicarbonate
  of soda. -- Lightly grease a heavy skillet (if making "soda farl", the
  flat version of soda bread) or preheat the oven to 450 F (if making "soda
  cake", the round, more breadlike version.) Sift the dry ingredients
  together into a large bowl; make sure the soda is evenly distributed. Make
  a well in the center of the dry mixture and add about half the buttermilk.
  Stir until you have a raggy dough that is very squashy but which looks
  more or less dry. Add more liquid sparingly until you achieve this
  texture. Blend until all the flour has achieved this consistency; then
  turn out immediately onto a lightly floured board and knead ***for no more
  than a minute or a minute and a half***. Overkneading makes this bread
  very tough, and it's very easy to overdo it. If making soda cake, shape
  the dough into a circle about 8-9 inches across and about an inch and a
  half thick. Cut a cross about on the top, about half an inch deep, and
  place on a floured baking sheet. Bake at 450 F for 45-50 minutes. If
  making soda farl, shape the dough into a circle about 9 inches by one inch
  thick and cut into four wedges or "farls": place in the preheated skillet,
  with cut edges about half an inch apart. Cook slowly on the stovetop over
  low-to-medium heat: it should take about 20 minutes for the farls to puff
  up and turn a light brown on the pan side. Turn them and cook for another
  20 minutes. -- For a softer crust on either soda cake or soda farl, wrap
  in a dishtowel after baking. -- For more information on making sodabread
  and its variations, please see the file "SODABRED.TXT" included with this
  zipfile.
 
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---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.01
 
     Title: Irish Soda Bread #2 Monica Sheridan
Categories: Breads, Irish
  Servings:  1
 
      1 tb Butter                              1 ts Baking soda
      4 c  White flour                         1 c  Buttermilk or sweet milk
      1 ts Salt                           
 
  Rub the butter into the flour. Add the salt and soda, mix all well
  together by running the dry ingredients through your fingers.
  
  Add the buttermilk (or sweet milk) and stir into a soft dough with a
  wooden spoon. With your floured hands, knead the dough lightly into a ball
  and turn out onto a lightly floured baking sheet.
  
  Flatten the dough into a circle 1 1/2 inches thick with the palm of your
  hand. Make a cross in the center with a floured knife.
  
  Bake at 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
  
  From The art of Irish cooking" by Monica Sheridan
 
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---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.01
 
     Title: Irish Whiskey Soda Bread
Categories: Breads, Irish
  Servings:  8
 
-----------------------------------BREAD-----------------------------------
      4 c  Flour, all purpose                  1 c  Raisins or currants (option)
      1 ts Salt                              1/2 c  Honey, liquid
      1 ts Baking Soda                       1/4 c  Irish Whisky or buttermilk
    1/4 c  Butter, chilled               
-----------------------------------GLAZE-----------------------------------
      2 ts Irish Whisky                        2    Ilk
 
  BREAD:  In large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.  With pastry
  blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  Stir in raisins or currants (if using).  In separate bowl, combine
  buttermilk, honey and whisky.  Add all at once to dry ingredients; stir
  just until no dry spots remain.  Turn dough out onto lightly floured
  surface.  Knead lightly 1 minute (too much handling will toughen loaves,
  while too little will inhibit rising.)  Divide dough in half and shape each
  half into an 8 in (20 cm) round.  Place in two greased 8 in (1.2 L) round
  cake pans.  With floured knife, cut a cross 1/2 in deep in each loaf.
  GLAZE:  In small bowl, combine whisky and milk.  Brush loaves with glaze.
   Bake in 350F (180C) oven 35 to 40 minutes or until loaves sound hollow
  when tapped on bottoms.  Remove from pans; let cool on wire racks.  Cut
  into wedges.
 
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