Irish Soda Bread

A

amanda_pennsylvania

Well-known member
From today's food chat on the Washington Post. Just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

Aunt Nelly's Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

1+ 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup sugar

pinch salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp melted butter

3/4 cup dark raisins

2 tsp caraway seeds, or to taste

Directions

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer.

2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add milk, egg and melted butter to the well. Stir until blended.

3. Mix in raisins and caraway seeds until combined. Pour batter into greased cake or bread tins and bake at 350 degree oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with plenty of butter.

 
I love Irish soda bread, but there are definitely 3 camps: sweet, unsweet, un-caraway'd

I belong to the first camp. Not only do I like it sweet, I like it buttery. Basically, I want Irish Soda "Cake Impersonating as a Bread".

It seems--from my various recipe attempts---that I need at least 1/2 C or more of sugar with at least that much butter. If I have both of those, I can take the caraway seeds. But not too much or else I feel like I'm eating black licorice...which I despise with every fiber of my being that isn't already consumed despising kidney and lima beans.

Twenty years ago an elderly man was selling his Irish Soda Bread at the Daytona Beach farmer's market and I fell in love with it. His bread is my benchmark. It was sweet, pack with buttery flavor, golden raisins and just a hint of caraway. He wouldn't divulge his recipe (understandable) so I've been searching/testing for years trying to find a match. Got close a few times, but never made one as good as his.

I loved the warm soda bread served each morning at the B&B's we stayed at in Ireland. But they tasted like wonderful whole-wheat bread. I want Irish soda cake...just call me Marie A in FL.

 
I'm with you M. I left the caraway out of this, but add some if you must REC: Irish Soda Bread...

Marilyn O'reilly's Irish Soda Bread

Recipe By :Courtesy of Nick Malgieri


3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and stir well to mix. Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients.
Stir in the caraway seeds if used and the raisins.
In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber spatula.
Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a cross in the top. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.
Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with plenty of sweet butter and bitter orange marmalade.

 
And here's one with a bit of whole wheat--REC: Classic Irish Soda Bread by Marcy Goldman...

Classic Irish Soda Bread

Recipe By :Marcy Goldman
Serving Size : 10

1 cup mixed raisins and currants -- (or all raisins)-Plumped
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour -- or regular whole wheat
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon caraway seeds -- (optional)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs -- beaten (optional)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk -- (up to 2 cups)


Preheat oven to 375 F.

Prepare raisins (and currants) by plumping in very hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain, dry well and set aside.

Whisk together all dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients by hand (or with the paddle or hook on a mixer at slow speed). Add (eggs) and buttermilk to form a soft dough. Turn out onto floured (white flour) work surface and gently knead 8 times or so, to firm up dough. Let rest 10 minutes.

Shape into a 8 or 9 inch round.

Score loaf with a knife to make a cross. Dust with white flour, bran, or oatmeal flakes. Place in a seasoned cast iron pan or on doubled up, parchment paper lined baking sheets (one inside the other) and bake for 30 to 45 minutes until top is brown.

Cool on a rack.

 
Here's the one I make from The Irish Heritage Cookbook

that I bought in Ireland

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups AP flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup corn oil (I use canola)
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 cup golden raisins
1 tab milk

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper (I use round pizza pan)

In large bowl, stir flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. In separate bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk and oil together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the butterilk mixture. Add the caraway seeds and raisins. Stir until soft dough has formed.

Shape dough in a large ball on a lightly floured board (may need to flour hands). Place on pan and with sharp knife make a cross on top. Brush top with milk. Bake in the center of oven until golden brown, 30-40 minutes.

 
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