Soda Bread with Cornmeal and Raisins

so good you'll want to give it a hug

I can’t say that I ever thought much about soda bread until a few weeks ago. My curiosity peaked when I saw someone on instagram post a photo of craggily golden little muffin shaped breads from a shop in NYC called Mary O’s. Apparently, it is pretty well known (people wait in line for hours) and I have just been living under a rock. Since I am allergic to standing in lines for food, especially baked goods, I knew it was something I was going to have to take on myself if I wanted to try it. 

I started with a barebones recipe as a control, made with just flour, baking soda, buttermilk, and salt and it tasted…bare bones. It was totally edible especially with butter and jam, just not very exciting so I turned to my friends butter and sugar to amp up the flavor.

I thought it might be fun to add a little extra textural component. Chopped nuts felt like a step too far, but I always have a bit of cornmeal kicking around in the pantry (and by pantry I mean the single cabinet where all of my baking ingredients are haphazardly piled on top of each other.) So, I added a scoop of cornmeal and a scoop of raisins to add some texture and chew. 

Now we’re talking. The result was somewhere between a quick bread and scone and my entire family devoured it. The baby even gave his piece a hug, so you know it’s good. More importantly, it is so quick and easy to make. All you need is a big bowl, a spoon and a baking sheet and you can have a fresh crusty loaf with a soft fluffy interior, in about an hour. If you bake the dough as individual muffins, you’ll have it even faster. Instructions for both are included in the recipe. 

This definitely falls into Snacking Bakes territory. It’s great any time of day. You probably have most of the ingredients you need to make it in your pantry right now. NYC friends if you can find Ronnybrook buttermilk, it is worth it. If you need ways to use up the rest of the container, check out Snacking Cakes.

I liked the bread best served with Tiptree Ginger Preserve which is the texture of marmalade and has some very nice warmth from the ginger, and a hefty spread of salted butter. I was a little skeptical when I first had it, but now I am obsessed. It’s worth seeking out if you are in the mood to switch up your normal jam routine. IS that a thing? Jam routine? Orange marmalade would be delicious as well.

And a hot tip from baby’s nanny: If you make the muffins, melt a generous amount of butter in a skillet, slice them in half, then give them a nice little toast in that butter. Thank us later. 

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