This traditional Irish soda bread recipe has a soft crumb from buttermilk, is a quick bread that uses baking soda and is packed with raisins. Your family will love this soft traditional bread!
Equipment
1 Large Mixing Bowl
1 Large spoon a silicone spatula can also be used
1 6 quart dutch oven You can also use a cast iron skillet or a baking sheet. It's a little too big to cook in a loaf pan easily.
1 parchment paper
Ingredients
4cupsall-purpose flour
4tablespoonssugargranulated white
1teaspoonbaking soda
1½teaspoonssalt
4tablespoonsunsalted buttercold, cut into small pieces
1 ¾cupsbuttermilkcold, shaken
1largeegglightly beaten
1cupraisins
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheitt. Line a dutch oven with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray. You can also use a cast iron skillet or a cookie sheet.
In a large mixing bowl add flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir until combined.
Place the raisins in a medium bowl and add about 2 teaspoons flour mixture. Mix to coat the raisins to help keep them from falling to the bottom of the bread.
Using a pastry blender to cut in cold butter into the flour mixture. The dough has a lot of flour but you're looking for the butter pieces to be about the same size as regular blueberries (not jumbo blueberries!)
In a second medium bowl, combine buttermilk and egg, Beat the mixture lightly with a fork until the egg yolk cracks and mixes in.
Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Fold raisins into the dough. Stop mixing when the dough just begins to feel too stiff to mix.
Flour a clean counter or surface heavily. Work with about half of the dough and knead the dough, adding flour as you go until the dough is not sticky. The dough will feel crumbly at first but then will become smooth as you knead for about thirty to forty five seconds. Move to the second half of the dough to knead that piece also for thirty to forty five seconds. Form the two dough balls into a singe ball.
Place the dough ball in the dutch oven or on the pan. Using a sharp knife, make an X slice on the top of the bread. This will score the top and allow the bread to expand easier without cracking.
Bake for about 45-55 minutes. Bread will be golden brown on the outside and seems cooked all the way through in the middle in the center of the loaf. You can also use a digital thermometer, the bread is cooked all the way through when it registers about 195 degrees. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
Sometimes the outside of the bread can begin to brown too fast. You can cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep the top from becoming too crispy or burning as needed.