Grease the inside of the Dutch oven with margarine or cooking oil. Mix the dry ingredients in a heavy duty plastic bag. Add the beer and stir until the ingredients are moistened. Put the dough into the bottom of the Dutch oven and add the coals (if using charcoal use about 15 on top and 8-10 under the Dutch oven. Bake about 40 minutes.

If making this at home, use a bowl for mixing and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes using a loaf pan. Notes: Dried fruit and nuts add variety. Raisins make it a better Irish Soda Bread. A few tablespoons of margarine can be worked into the flour if desired.

This is a great bread to have on a cold evening after a long day of walking through the bogs and beaver swamps after the moose.

By Ken Vaughan