Irish Soda Bread

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 1 loaf
  • Total: 1 hr 15 min
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Cook: 55 min
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Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup dried currants

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
  3. With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
  4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
  5. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Let's Get Cooking!

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reeree921

I made this yesterday to bring to a post St. Patrick's day dinner. It was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except that i used dried cranberries in place of currants. It's my own preference that like orange and Cranberry flavors together. The dough is very wet and sticky. Just want to add that I'm not at all a baker or bread maker and had a difficult time trying to knead (lightly fold over) the dough to make it into a ball. I also used a parchment lined round cake pan so it wouldn't spread out to a flatbread. 55 minutes in the oven was definitely not enough baking time using a round pan. I ended up finding a website stating that Irish soda bread is baked thoroughly when the center reaches 200-210°. This was a great help since I also didn't understand what a hollow sound is when knocked on. The soda bread was a hit with everyone, even from someone else that made a more traditional Irish soda bread. I'll definitely be making this again!

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