Irish Soda Bread Recipe- anyone have a good one?

[emilief]

Invited to a St. Patrick's day party tomorrow and thought I would try making some Irish soda bread to bring. Does anyone have a tired and true not overly complicated recipe??? Thanks.

[dukegirl]

This is the only one I've ever made and it's good. Even better as toast the next morning, with your hash!

Irish Soda Bread, from the Boston Globe Cookbook

4 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
4 T sugar
2 T caraway seeds
1 cup raisins, soaked for 30 minutes in warm water and drained thoroughly
4 T (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/3 cups buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add caraway seeds; mix well. Add raisins; mix well. Mix in the butter, using fingertips. In a small bowl, beat egg slightly, then mix in buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients, using a fork to blend.

Spread some flour on the counter, turn out dough and knead lightly, adding flour if too sticky. Mound into a round loaf. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut a cross into the top, about 1/2 inch deep. Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350F. Loaf should be lightly golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool. Makes 1 loaf.

[Laura D.]

I've made this one several times this year (and am about to make it again this afternoon). It comes together in about 10 minutes, is fairly lowfat (for something of this nature) and is really tasty. I don't know how authentic it is since it doesn't have caraway seeds, but I personally dislike the seeds so prefer this recipe because of that. Good luck

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

[chowser]

Are you looking for the American version w/ caraway seeds and is slightly sweet or the more traditional? I have both, prefer the American since I have a sweet tooth (though like it because it's not too sweet). American baked in a loafpan, traditional shaped in a boule.

[durkin81]

Nana's Irish Soda Bread (straight from off the boat):

2.5 cup flour
1/4 lb butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants (optional - my g-ma doesn't like them)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (made by putting 2 Tblsp white vinegar in the milk)

mix dry ingredients
cut in butter (which can be softened by being left out over night)
mix
add raisins
mix well
take lump of batter in hands, flour board surface, and knead dough, adding a little flour as you go.
do this until consistency is correct (I think you have to be 87 and Irish to know exactly what "correct" is here, but you'll get the idea)

325 for an hour.

[FlavoursGal]

Check out Wednesday's New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/din...

[piccola]

I was so glad to read this story. While I like the sugar-caraway-raisin variety, to me, it's cake. Soda bread should be plain - flour, leavening, buttermilk. Great out of the oven, rock-hard and stale an hour later.

[Lazy Susan]

I agree, always stales quickly. And is very heavy, I prefer the Rye/Onion yeast bread (I use the "How to cook everything" cookbook for the recipe) and it's a wonderful accompaniment to an Irish boiled dinner. I can't do raisins in a dinner bread either.