Traditional Irish Soda Bread

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4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt (any salt is fine; sea salt adds an extra crunch)
1-3/4 cups of buttermilk (or 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar and 1-3/4 cups milk)
If you are going to sour regular milk instead of using buttermilk, start this process first. Add the vinegar to a large measuring cup and then add the milk. Let rest 5-15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Create a well in the center and add the buttermilk or sour milk gradually, stirring until all the flour has been gathered into a sticky dough. If you have extra floury flakes, you may need to add a bit more milk.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently, 10 seconds or so (do not overknead or the dough won’t rise as much).

Set the rounded dough into the cake pan. Cut a cross into the top of the dough. Cover with another cake pan or pot of same size. If you don’t have cake pans, you can set the dough on a baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the upper pan and bake for another 15 minutes until crust is just beginning to turn golden.

The bottom of the baked bread should have a hollow sound when tapped. Cover the warm bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.

Serve warm.