Margaret Anne O'Brien

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Margaret's Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1¾ cups buttermilk Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix with a fork until a soft, shaggy dough forms — do not overwork it or it will be tough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape into a round loaf. Score a deep cross on top (this lets the bread cook through and wards off the devil, she always said). Bake 35–45 minutes on a floured baking sheet until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. "My mother taught me this recipe in County Clare when I was eight years old. I have made it every Saint Patrick's Day since 1968 without fail." — Margaret