Irish Soda Bread

I love making Irish soda bread around St. Patrick’s Day. I only make it a couple of times a year, but I forget how much I enjoy it each time. I have family coming into town tonight, so I was going to make an Irish beef stew to have along with the bread. Toasted bread and beef stew…Yes, please! It doesn’t last that long, only a couple of days, so it’s best enjoyed warm out of the oven. You can also add raisins or currants into it if you wish, but i always love just the caraway seeds.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. caraway seeds
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup raisins or currants (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, caraway seeds, whisk until combined.

Cut the cold butter into cubes and with clean hands work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles small peas, and all the big pieces of butter are broken up.

Make a well in the center of the flour and add the egg and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon mix the dough until it comes together to a rough mass. With floured hands gently knead the dough so it makes a rough dough ball. If it’s over worked it will get too dense and too tough.

Form the dough into a loaf and score an X on the top of the bread. The purpose of scoring the bread is to help the center of the bread get baked evenly. Brush egg wash onto the top and place on a greased baking pan.

Bake at 425 for about 25 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 25 minutes or until golden and when tapped it sounds hollow. Insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean then it’s done. Once baked let cool for 5-10 minutes and serve warm with butter!!