Irish Soda Bread with Caraway Seeds

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It appears everyone has their favorite soda bread recipe.

Some with caraway seeds, some with raisins, some with both, some

with neither.

The essential ingredients are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.

The acid in buttermilk reacts with the base of the baking soda to

provide the leavening for this quick bread.

Soda bread dries out quickly so is only good for a day or two.

It is best eaten freshly baked and warm or toasted.

 

Note: Organic Ingredients are recommended...

 

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups flour

2 tablespsoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoon butter

1 cup raisins

1/2 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

 

METHODS:

Preheat oven to 425¢X.

Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing

bowl.

Using a pastry cutter or two knives, work butter into flour mixture until it

resembles coarse meal,

then stir in raisins and caraway seeds.

 

 

 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon

until dough is too stiff to stir.

Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just

long enough to form a rough ball.

If the dough is too sticky to work with, sprinkle in a little more flour.

Do not over knead!

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf.

 

 

Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking

sheet.

Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about 1/2'' deep in an " X "

shape.

Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds

hollow when tapped with a knife, about 35-45 minutes.

Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the

center.

If it comes out clean, it's done.

Transfer bread to a rack to let cool briefly.

Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted.

 

Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with

some aluminum foil.

Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be

very careful when you take the pan out.

It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with

an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.