Irish Soda Bread
Recipe GLPR4c7c48a6fc227e
A rustic, slightly sweet Irish bread with a tender crumb studded with plump raisins. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients and leavened with baking soda and buttermilk for a distinctive tangy flavor and soft texture. Perfect served warm with butter.
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Ingredients
4 cups All-purpose flour
2 Tbsp Granulated sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking soda
4 Tbsp Unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
1 cup Raisins
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1¾ cups Buttermilk
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust it with flour.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda until well combined.
Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter visible.
Fold in the raisins gently to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
In a small bowl, whisk together the beaten egg and 1¾ cups of buttermilk. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined, adding more buttermilk only if the dough is too dry. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it 3 to 4 times until it comes together, taking care not to overwork it.
Shape the dough into a round loaf approximately 7 inches in diameter. Place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow cross (about ¼ inch deep) into the top of the loaf.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Transfer the bread to a wire rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter.
