Our homage to St. Patrick’s Day would not be complete without sharing a recipe for Irish soda bread.
As most of us are preparing to, or already on a self-quarantine over this year’s St. Patrick’s Day–which actually means lots more time at home and with family–why not add a hygge twist to the scenario and celebrate the holiday with some Irish soda bread?
Hunker down and enjoy yourself and delight in the aroma of fresh bread that will fill your home while it bakes. And then, keep it all for your family and yourself and DON’T share it!
DO NOT GIVE IT TO A SINGLE SOUL! Tell everyone how good it is on Instagram.
This recipe is so good it will be hard not to share. The Hungry Bluebird is spoiling us once again with my favorite part of the whole dang St. Patrick’s Day meal! This home chef knows her way around the kitchen and, more importantly, the way to all of our hearts. Through our belly!
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 c. all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 4 tsp cold butter, cut into pieces
- 1 c. raisins
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 c. buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425º. Sift dry ingredients -- flour, sugar, salt and baking soda -- into a large bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to mix butter into flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins.
- Make a well in center of flour mixture and add the egg and buttermilk. Use a wooden spoon to mix the dough until just combined and difficult to stir. Dust your clean hands with a little flour and gently knead the dough just until it forms a rough ball. Transfer to a floured board and shape into a round ball with your hands.
- Transfer round dough to a lightly greased baking sheet. With a serrated knife, cut a ½-inch deep cross on top of dough. Bake in oven for about 40 minutes, until golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool briefly on a wire rack. Serve bread warm, sliced or toasted, with butter!
Notes
- For the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, try cranberry orange soda bread. Swap out the raisins for dried cranberries and add the zest of one orange.
- Soda bread freezes beautifully, just wrap tightly in a freezer bag.
- Serve with lots of butter, maybe some jam, too. Any leftovers are great toasted for breakfast the next day.
Originally published at https://thehungrybluebird.com/recipes/irish-soda-bread/ on February 25th, 2019.
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