Herbed Irish Soda Bread

I just love Irish soda bread. There's nothing like it when it comes straight out of the oven all crusty on the outside and warm and tender on the inside. It always makes for a delicious breakfast.

Lately, however, I've been playing around with different versions of the recipe. I've used cinnamon, blueberries, and even pumpkin. But, this time, I wanted a savory bread. So, after a little experimentation, this is what I came up with - an Herbed Irish Soda Bread. To get the flavor I wanted, I used some no-salt all-purpose seasoning (ex: Mrs. Dash). I also added some red pepper flakes for a little heat.

The resulting bread was fantastic. It was almost like eating an herbed biscuit and would probably go great with a bowl of soup. I will definitely make this again and again.


Herbed Irish Soda Bread (created by Lisa of Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (or half all-purpose and half bread flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. no-salt herb seasoning (ex: Mrs. Dash)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or less if you don't want it too spicy)
1 1/4 c. buttermilk (or milk + 1 Tbsp. vinegar)

Preheat the oven to 500F.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, herb seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Add the milk gradually and mix until a nice dough has formed. Turn it out onto a lightly floured baking sheet and form into a round loaf. Using a knife, cut an "x" in the top.

Bake at 500F for 5 min. After the 5 min. are up, immediately lower the heat to 375F and continue baking for 20-25 min. more.