Now is the perfect time to make Irish soda bread. This version is full of plump golden raisins and has a touch of fragrant caraway seeds.
During March local bakeries sell Irish soda bread. I look forward to a warm slice of this hearty bread, flavored with currants or raisins. I especially like it with caraway seeds.
This recipe comes from Simply Recipes. I added caraway seeds and golden raisins. The raisins remain moist during the baking and add a delicious sweet flavor to the bread.
Ingredients
- 4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Sift 4 cups of the flour and the sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
Using the large hole side of a box grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture and stir everything together.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the beaten egg and buttermilk to the well and mix it in with a wooden spoon until the dough is stiff.
Mix the caraway and raisins into the dough.
Flour your hands and lightly knead the dough just long enough to form a ball. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. The dough should be a little sticky and not perfectly smooth. Don’t knead it too much.
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape it into a round loaf.
Put the loaf in a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or on a baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, score the top of dough about an inch and a half deep from side to side and top to bottom (like a plus sign+). This helps cook the center of the dough.
Bake the bread until it is golden and it sounds hollow when you tap it (about 35-45 minutes). A cake tester, inserted into the middle, will come out clean when the loaf is ready. If the top of the bread is getting too dark, loosely drape aluminum foil over it.
Cool the bread in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then put it on a rack to cool a little more. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
If you don’t have time to make your own Irish soda bread and you live in the Boston area, I highly recommend picking up a loaf from Quebrada Baking Company. They have a few locations in the area and make Irish soda bread at this time of year. It’s fantastic!
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