Recipe courtesy of Marilyn O'Reilly
Marilyn O'Reilly's Irish Soda Bread
- Level: Easy
- Yield: One large loaf
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, optional
1 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Directions
- 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 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, 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.