Irish Soda Bread Recipe
With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, it's time once again to bring out our beloved Irish Soda Bread recipe. For a long time, flour made in Ireland did not combine well with yeast, so they used baking soda to make the loaf rise instead!
Prep Time: 20 min.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature (if cold cut into ¼ inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ½ cup buttermilk.*
- 1 large egg at room temperature.
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon milk
(*To make buttermilk, use 1/2 cup milk plus ½ tsp. lemon juice or white vinegar)
How To Do It
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Step 2: Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingertips, work the room-temperature butter into the dry ingredients, then add the raisins and seeds, stirring to coat.
Step 3: The Egg & Buttermilk
Crack egg into a small bowl or cup, and scramble. Be sure to reserve the bowl/cup – we need the remnants of the egg for coating the bread, just before baking.
Add buttermilk to scrambled egg. Slowly pour over the flour mixture and stir to form a dough.
Step 4: Kneading & Shaping
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly.
Form the dough into a round shape and place it on the prepared baking sheet. In the egg bowl, combine the melted butter and milk, then brush the loaf with this mixture. Use a knife to cut an "X" into the top of the loaf to allow steam to escape.
Step 5: Baking
Place the bread in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve warm, and wrap any leftover bread tightly in plastic wrap.
