St Patrick is a very popular saint, beloved by so many throughout the world, so there are many traditions celebrated on his feast day. When I was searching for ideas to celebrate his feast day, I was overwhelmed with tons of secular ideas to celebrate his feast with leprechaun and shamrock crafts, but I was finding it difficult to find any meaningful faith-filled resources to learn about St Patrick, especially from an Orthodox Christian perspective. I’m a sucker for a feast-day food tradition, because what is a celebration without food, right? As a mother, I find that time spent together preparing food and working as a family to bring it to fruition is such a rewarding time spent together. It allows us to slow down a bit and embrace the rhthyms of the Church by being attentive to the liturgical year. Food is the heart of any celebration, so today we are making a fast-friendly Irish soda bread, a special bread made on the feast of St Patrick in Ireland on this day.

This is a simple and fun tradition to do on the feast of St Patrick’s day! Simple enough for kids to do (nearly) entirely on their own. Depending on the year, it may or may not fall during the lenten fast, so you’ll have to adjust your recipe accordingly. This year St Patrick’s day fell during great lent, so we are making a fast-friendly version, which means there are no eggs or dairy. Special thanks to Seeking Theosis for sharing her recipe with us!

Get the recipe:

Yield: 2

Author: Seeking Theosis

Fast-Friendly Irish Soda Bread

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

Let's make Irish soda bread for the feast of St Patrick, which is celebrated on March 17th! Since this feast day often falls during the Great Fast of lent, this recipe is modified to be fast-friendly, meaning there is not eggs or dairy in the recipe!

Ingredients

Fast-Friendly Irish Soda Bread

240 g oat milk (or soy milk)
1 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
360 g all-purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 Cups cranberries (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine oat milk and lemon juice, stirring gently. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes to curdle, creating a vegan buttermilk substitute. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients, except the cranberries if using, until well combined.
Pour approximately 1 cup of the prepared vegan buttermilk into the dry mixture. Use a spatula or your hands to gently mix the dough. The mixture may appear dry and crumbly at first. Add the cranberries and fold them in carefully, be careful not to over mix, as this could make the bread dense.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to gently squeeze and fold it together until it holds its shape. If the dough feels too wet or sticky, sprinkle in a tablespoon or two of flour and fold it a few times. If it’s too dry or crumbling apart, add a tablespoon of vegan buttermilk and work it into the dough. The texture should remain rustic rather than smooth, as this is a quick bread, not a yeast-based one.
Form the dough into a round shape and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly press it down with your hands, keeping in mind that the more you flatten it, the less it will rise. The dough should be about 5 inches wide and 1½ inches tall.
Using a sharp knife, cut a cross into the top of the dough, making the cuts a few inches long. Brush the surface with some of the remaining vegan buttermilk to help create a golden crust.
Place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes. The bread is done when the top is golden brown, a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the internal temperature reaches 200°F. If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. A properly baked loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. For a softer crust, wrap the warm bread in a clean kitchen towel while it cools. Enjoy your fresh, homemade fast-friendly soda bread!

Adapted for a group:

Our Orthodox homeschool co-op kids made this recipe with little prompting. We paired up the kids into teams of two and had them read the recipe card and follow instructions. Once all the ingredients were combined, they formed them, cut a cross on the top, and baked them according to the directions! They were so delighted with themselves! This recipe makes two Irish breads loafs, so adjust accordingly based on the size of your group.

Guest Blogpost and Recipe from Cindy Dale of Seeking Theosis (Instagram: @seeking.theosis)

Notes

You don't need to preheat the cast-iron skillet
The key is to not overmix as this develops too much gluten and can make the bread dry and dense.
Since this bread doesn’t contain yeast, it must be baked immediately to retain its leavening power.

You can substitute apple cider vinegar or distilled vinegar for lemon
Feel free to experiment with different herbs, spices, or add-ins to customize the flavor. Keep it plain or try variations like rosemary, garlic, or cinnamon for a unique twist.

Cindy of Seeking Theosis (IG: @seeking.theosis) shares many feast day foods traditions and her ideas are simple and brilliant! Check out her new website (www.seekingtheosis.com) Do give her a follow!