With a name like KELLY, it may come as no surprise that March 17th is one of my favorite days of the year. As part of the celebration, I have been making soda bread for the last 32 years and have tried dozens of versions – experimenting as I went. My favorite soda bread recipe in 32 years of experimenting is Silver Palate author Sheila Lukins’ Irish Soda Bread Rolls. Why rolls and not just a loaf of bread? Because the rolls give you more of that delightful, rustic crunchy crust!

I make these using the Celtic tradition of cutting a cross in the tops to ward off evil spirits for the year to come. The Society for the Preservation of Soda Bread would like you to know that the humble bread has survived centuries of time because it is simple, frugal and just plain delicious. Traditional soda bread has only four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk.

Irish Americans later added raisins to fancy things up for holidays. Sheila added oats, too, which I think is a brilliant rustic addition of an Irish ingredient. The only thing I have changed from Sheila’s recipe is that I brush the rolls with butter before baking for a nice golden brown crust. This year, I am making these rolls not only because they are Irish, but also as a tribute to Sheila, who died too young a few months ago of cancer. Her fun (albeit NOT Irish) spirit lives on!

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