Irish Soda Bread
Course: BreakfastCuisine: IrishDifficulty: Easy8
servings15
minutes45
minutesI always love Irish Soda Bread. I fell in love with it when I lived in London. I was with a friend and we stopped in a bakery one rainy afternoon and she ordered soda bread with marmalade. I ordered a cuppa and ordered soda bread as well. It was delicious especially with the homemade marmalade. I make from time to time and have tried many recipes, but I always come back to this one. I love the orange zest and my kids prefer currants to raisins. Sometimes I do add 1 teaspoon or 2 of caraway seeds as that is a bit more like the loaves you enjoy in Ireland. This makes for wonderful buttered toast or even sliced and made into French Toast.
Ingredients
4 cups flour, plus 1 Tablespoon for the currants
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra lg egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup dried currants
1 -2 teaspoons caraway seeds
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a battle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until butter is mixed into the flour.
- With a fork, beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together a measuring cup. With the mixer on low, slowly add the liquid to the dry. Mix currants with ! Tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. Dough will be quite wet.
- Dump dough onto a well floured board. Knead dough 3-4 times into a round loaf. Place dough on prepared baking sheet and lightly cut an X into the top with a serrated knife. This allows the top part to cook.
- Bake bread for 40-50 minutes.
- It will be done when a toothpick comes out clean or tapping the top and hearing an hallow sound.
- Cool on baking rack.Serve warm or at room temperature.
- This is delicious as French Toast, toast with eggs and bacon.
