Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. Reserve 1 teaspoon flour and combine remaining flour with salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk, and mix gently and quickly with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms into a solid mass.

3. Oil an aluminum nonstick baking sheet with canola oil, and place the dough on the sheet. Using a piece of plastic wrap, press and mold the dough to create a round load about 7 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Remove wrap. Sprinkle top of dough with the reserved flour. Using a serrated knife, make an "x" in center, 1/4-inch deep, and nearly the entire diameter.

4. Place a stainless steel bowl upside down over the bread, and place it in the 425F for 30 minutes. Uncover, and cook at the same temperature for another 30 minutes.

5. Using a side spatula, remove the bread from the baking sheet and set it aside to cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

COMMENTS: When pressed for time, soda bread is the perfect solution. This British classic requires only a few minutes of work to put together. ... No proofing is necessary, the bread should be baked immediately after it is assembled for the baking powder to work effectively.

Soda bread is conventionally made with buttermilk and baking soda, but Jacques achieves the same result with regular milk and baking powder. If you want to make the classic version, use the same amounts of buttermilk and baking soda.

The trick: covering the dough with an inverted stainless steel bowl during the first 30 minutes of baking creates a moist environment in which it can rise. Then, after the bowl is removed, the crust of the bread hardens and browns.

NOTE: Irish bread is still baked in a deep kettle, over a peat fire, in a hearth stand. The walls of the kettle provide moisture. Sometimes, the kettle is covered for the first 20 to 30 minutes. -Time Lifes Cooking of the British Isles

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Yield 6 to 8 servings

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