Lammas Herbal Irish Soda Bread

This recipe for herbal Irish soda bread makes for a quick and easy dish on your Lammas table this year.

No need for yeast, this one bakes up without any counter rising time and minimal kneading.  

Try something new this year for your Lammas bread bake!

What is Irish soda bread?

Irish soda bread is a yeast-free bread that relies on a combination of soured milk and baking soda to make it rise.

Traditional versions generally call for buttermilk, but really, who has buttermilk?  Like ever?

So in this fresh take on the classic, we substituted sour cream + water.  

But if you have neither, scan this list of easy substitutes for buttermilk.

Add-ins.

This versatile bread accommodates every imaginable flavor.

We used dried herbs from our garden.  

But rolled oats are especially appropriate for grain holidays like Lammas.

You can also try sundried raisins (for a sweeter bread) or sundried tomatoes (for a more savory bread).

Using your Lammas bread in ritual.

Nothing smells like Lammas more than a fresh-baked loaf of Lammas bread.

Feel free to eat it with your hands and share it with your fam as a warm, buttery treat.  Breaking bread with loved ones is the most nourishing ritual of all.

But if want to incorporate this bread into your magical life, consider any of the following ideas:

-Bury a piece in your magical garden to give thanks for the harvest and bless future planting.

-Add herbs or ingredients that symbolize your current spell crafting goals.  For example, rosemary for protection, or dried roses for love.

-Toss a piece in the freezer and bring it out during Mabon.  Thaw it, dry it out and incorporate it into a traditional stale bread dish (like meatloaf) for your Mabon table.

No cast iron?

We love making this bread on a cast-iron skillet.  It’s convenient and gives the bread room to “breathe.”

But if you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a regular baking pan.  Just make sure it’s well greased with a light baking oil (like canola) or butter.

Pair it up.

Serve this bread on its own with some irish butter, or pair it up with any of the following:

-Irish beer (such as Guinness)

-Goat cheese

-Summer soups

If you opted to make your bread sweet with raisons or other dried fruit, try it with:

-Cream cheese

-Wildflower honey

Lammas Irish Soda Bread

Recipe by Lumina Indigo

Prep time

1

hour 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sour cream

• 3/4 cup water

• 1 egg

• 4 cups flour

• 3 tbsp white sugar

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp salt

• 5 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes

• 2 tbsp dried garden herbs

• Equipment

• 1 cast iron skillet

• 2 medium size mixing bowls

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, blend together the water and sour cream until smooth. It should be the consistency of heavy cream.
• Add the egg and beat it into the water/sour cream.
• In a seperate bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or very large fork, cut cold butter into the mixture until it begins to clump consistently througout.
• Fold the sour cream/water/egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it becomes annoyingly difficult to do so (you'll know what I mean when you get there).
• From there, sprinkle in the herbs and work the dough by hand on a lightly floured surface until they are spread throughout the dough and the dough seems even in consistency. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
• Place it on a cast iron skillet or lightly greased baking pan.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork comes out clean.

Notes

• Simple, down-to-earth soda bread makes for a lovely addition to your Lammas celebration. No yeast or buttermilk necessary!