Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread

Lara Ferroni

Provided by: Ian Knauer

2 hr 20 mins total 20 mins prep Full Screen

loaf

This version of the classic Irish soda bread is delicately sweetened with raisins and has an intriguing nuttiness from caraway. It's also quick to make (thanks to the leavening power of the soda) and a fun way to sop up corned beef juices.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons caraway seed
• 1 3/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.
• Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the butter is pea-sized lumps. Add raisins and caraway, then add buttermilk and stir just until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.
• Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and gently knead with floured hands about 8 times to form a soft but slightly less sticky dough, then form into a ball. Pat dough ball into a domed 8-inch round on baking sheet. Cut a 1/2-inch-deep X on top of each loaf with a sharp knife.
• Bake in the middle of oven until golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

• Filed under:
• Irish,
• Baking,
• Bread,
• Winter,
• St. Patrick's Day

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Comments

[maria52]

10:31 AM on 03/04/2012

The Sun Maid girl, IMO, is just as wholesome as ever. Also, when I saw the Irish Soda Bread recipe, I got so excited, because, almost every year, I try to make Irish Soda bread around St. Paddy's Day. I use raisins and grated orange peel in mine. It is a beautiful loaf and so festive.

[Welshish]

10:58 AM on 03/08/2013

Me too and I have come to always use Golden Raisins for a super taste treat!

[macsgirl]

02:30 PM on 03/23/2013

I have a recipe that was given to me by my husbands grandmother. She was from Galway. It always gets raves but I am going to try this for a change of pace. I notice it has a small amount of baking soda and no eggs. Kinda nervous about this. Has anyone made this?