Irish Soda Bread on The Grill

Irish soda bread on a wire cooling rack.

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Bake this classic quick bread outside on your gas or charcoal grill. It's easy to make and bakes beautifully in a cast iron skillet.

Course:

Appetizer

Bread

Side Dish

Snack

Cuisine:

Irish

Irish-American

Author: Ray Sheehan

Makes:

Servings: 8

Takes:

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 55

Ingredients

▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour plus some for dusting
▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
▢ 6 tablespoons cold salted butter cut in small pieces
▢ 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries optional

Notes:

About the buttermilk. Buttermilk is acidic and acidity is necessary to activate the baking soda. If you don’t have buttermilk, combine one tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar with 1 3/4 cup whole milk and let it sit for five minutes before using.

About the sugar. If you prefer a less sweet loaf, you can reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons or omit it entirely. It does help with browning the outside though.

About the flour. For a more rustic loaf, you can replace up to 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, though the loaf will be slightly denser.

Playing around. For a savory variation, omit the sugar and dried fruit and add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs and/or 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, preferably Irish cheddar. If cast iron is unavailable, use any heavy oven-safe pan with a 2- to 3-quart capacity (such as a 9-inch square baking pan), keeping in mind that thinner pans may brown the bottom crust more quickly.

Metric conversion:

These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page

Method

Fire up. Preheat your grill to 375°F using a two-zone setup. On a gas grill, leave one burner on medium and one burner off, placing the bread over the unlit side. (If you have 3 or more burners, turn the outside burners on and the leave the middle burners off, placing the bread in the middle for more even heating.) On a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side and position the bread over the cooler side. Do not add wood chunks or smoke. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet on the grill while it preheats so the pan heats thoroughly.
Mix the dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If using fruit, stir it in now. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add this mixture to the flour and stir gently until just combined. The dough should look shaggy and slightly sticky. Do not overmix. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a round about two inches thick.
Add the dough to the pan. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the grill and lightly butter or grease it. Place the dough in the center and score a deep “X” across the top with a sharp knife.
Bake. Return the skillet to the grill over indirect heat and close the lid. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, maintaining a steady temperature of 375°F. Rotate the pan if needed for even browning. The bread is done when the crust is golden brown, the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, and the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205°F.
Cool and serve. Remove from the grill and cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition per Serving