St. Patrick’s Day Irish Soda Bread
St. Patrick’s Day is not far away, and a great way to celebrate is with homemade Irish Soda Bread! It reminds me of the top part of a muffin, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Some versions do not have raisins, but I like to add raisins in mine for a bit of sweet and salty mix. It also can be made in one day, unlike most breads that need time to rest and proof.
Here is the recipe I use:
Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
1 ¾ cups of Buttermilk
1 Large Egg
4 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Salt
5 Tablespoons Unsalted Cold Butter
1 Cup of Raisins
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. I like to bake this bread in a greased 9-inch pie dish.
Whisk the egg and buttermilk together. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. The buttermilk helps the bread rise and is a key ingredient.
Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or fork. The butter should break down into pea sized crumbs. Next, pour in the raisins.
Pour the egg/buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix with a spoon until it thickens. Then pour onto a floured work surface and knead until the flour is mixed through. This should not take more than a minute. If the bread is still very sticky and just a pinch of flour.
Form into a ball and put into the greased pan. Score a “x” into the top of the bread.
Bake the bread until it is golden brown and seems baked through, around 45 minutes depending on your oven.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner for a great St. Patrick’s Day Feast!
