Cast Iron Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1.75 cups buttermilk (plus up to 0.25 cups extra if needed)
• 6 tablespoons caraway seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat: Place your empty Lodge chicken fryer and its lid into the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Mix Dry: Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and caraway seeds together in a large bowl.
3. Hydrate: Make a well in the center and pour in 1.75 cups of buttermilk. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or your hands just until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass. Do not knead. If dry flour patches remain, add the remaining buttermilk a tablespoon at a time.
4. Shape: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a round disc, about 2 inches thick.
5. Score: Using a sharp knife, score a deep X across the entire top of the dough, cutting about an inch deep. This allows heat to penetrate the center.
6. Bake Covered: Carefully remove the hot chicken fryer from the oven. Place the shaped dough inside. Cover with the hot lid and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid. Continue baking uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 190°F.
8. Cool: Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Temperature Management

Since the house runs cold, let the buttermilk sit out to take the chill off before mixing. Cold buttermilk inhibits the baking soda reaction.

Baking Vessel

This is optimized for the Lodge chicken fryer. The heavy lid traps steam escaping from the wet dough, allowing the bread to rise significantly taller before the outer crust hardens.