Irish Soda Bread

With March just around the corner I am thinking Irish.  Today's recipe is for Irish Soda Bread.  As I was researching different recipes, I noticed several common ingredients in Irish Soda bread - flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.  Some recipes add raisins, caraway seeds, both raisins and caraway seeds, and some don't add anything.   Irish Soda bread is a quick and easy bread to make.  The recipe I used was from "Saveur" Magazine.  This recipe added raisins to the Irish Soda Bread which brought a nice sweetness to the loaf.  Be sure to eat the loaf quick - it is only good for a day or two.











Irish Soda Bread
from "Saveur" Magazine


4 cups flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. butter
1 cup raisins
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then stir in raisins.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf.

4. Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1/2'' deep in an "X" shape. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped with a knife, about 40 minutes. Transfer bread to a rack to let cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted.

Makes 1 loaf

Irish Soda Bread  Ready For Oven

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