For those of you who live in the Atlanta area now is the time to get your tickets for this years IrishFest! Cherish the Ladies and The Friel Sisters are headlining at IrishFest Atlanta on November 8-10 2024, which means it will be very busy this year – remember to take advantage of the early bird special for 15% off the main concert and tickets and workshops, now through September 16th. Here’s the link to order your tickets:
https://www.irishfestatlanta.org/
Chef Thomas McKeown, Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and I will be judging the annual Bread Making Competition and the competition will be fierce! Last year, we were so impressed by the entries, so I wanted to prompt all you Irish bakers out there to have another go this year and bake a loaf of Irish Soda bread for your chance to win! – The top three adults and those under 18 will win gift cards/items from one of our generous sponsors King Arthur Baking Company and Irish Network ATL. So head over to register:
https://www.irishfestatlanta.org/2024-registration
So what are we looking for in an award winning soda bread? Although Irish Soda bread is a quick bread with few ingredients,(flour, buttermilk, egg, baking soda, sugar salt and butter), the best Irish soda bread has a nice crisp golden brown crust with a tender soft texture when you cut inside. In my experience, the key to good texture is adding just the right amount of wet ingredients, and not overworking the dough. Flavor and the actual taste of the soda bread will also be an important factor for our winners.
Looking forward to seeing you at IrishFest 2024, and happy baking!
Judith (Shamrock and Peach)