Irish Soda Bread

I'd never had Soda Bread before I tried this recipe for St. Patrick's Day. The texture is like cornbread, and was a little sweet and very yummy! We'll be having it again for sure. It was great paired with soup. It was easy to whip together - but I went a little short on the baking time so the middle was a bit gooey. Make sure you bake it until it is nice and golden (more than mine!) - 50 - 60 minutes! I got this recipe from Allrecipes.

Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round (flatten it out just a touch) and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes Continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes. (I did it every 10 minutes)

We paired this bread with Irish Stew for St. Patrick's Day. Here's a picture and a link. It was good and we'll probably have it again next year, but it wasn't amazing enough for me to feature it here. I did use lamb, leeks and parsnips for the first time though! It needed a lot more salt than the recipe called for. If you're a whiz at knowing what spices would make something taste perfect, then maybe you can tell me what else the soup could use. I just follow the recipes!

Here's a link to the recipe on Allrecipes if you want it. Irish Stew