Share:

Every March, I share M&D’s legendary Irish Soda bread story. Can any of you recite it by memory yet?

Saint Patrick’s Day means …

Irish Soda Bread!

With the holiday coming up this weekend, get ready to see our famous Irish Soda Bread flying off the bakery shelves. St. Patrick’s Day just wouldn’t be the same without it.

Want to know what makes our bread even better? The story behind it.

When Brian and my dad decided to start making Irish Soda Bread, they went right to the source, Brian’s mother, Mary Doyle. There was only one catch, she didn’t have the recipe written down. So, they found themselves in Mary’s kitchen, carefully watching her every scoop, pour and stir until they figured out how to scale up the recipe to make the bread in bulk.

Mary finished off each loaf by dusting the top with flour and then carefully cutting a cross into the top before baking. Little did my dad and Brian know that this detail would soon become the most important one.

It was 4 a.m. on the first morning that my dad and Brian were making Irish Soda Bread for the bakery. Fifteen loaves to be exact (that number seems so minuscule now, over 30 years later). They were both equally shocked to hear McKinney and Doyle’s phone ring at such an early hour. It was Mary calling to tell them that they forgot to cut the crosses into the breads.

She was absolutely correct. How she knew that we will never know but rest assured, every loaf was yanked out of the oven and corrected. My father has never forgotten again.

See for yourself when you pick up your Irish Soda Bread!

Don’t worry, you’ll find festive cookies for your sweet tooth as well.

• About
• Latest Posts

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

• Why Food Makes the Best Gift for a New Mom - April 12, 2023
• 5 Ingredients to Cook With This Spring - March 15, 2023
• 10 Reasons to Dine Out on Valentine’s Day - February 2, 2023