Irish Soda Bread

 

Traditionally for St. Patrick's Day my mother would make Corned Beef with Cabbage and Irish Soda Bread. So what if St. Patrick's Day is still a month away and I'm not Irish? I was in the mood so I whipped up some Irish Soda Bread. It's easy and delicious. This recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). Oh... mom used to put in Carroway Seeds which I left out because I don't like the flavor of them. (Sorry! But not really!) Feel free to add a handful to your dough if you like a little anise flavoring.

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• 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 cup dried currants
• 1 handful of Carroway Seeds (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (in my case I used a non-stick sheet pan that I had lightly sprayed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

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 (your butter should be about pea sized).

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk and egg. 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 (this helps the currants to not fall to the bottom of your dough. If you are adding Carroway Seeds, now is the time to do so. Your dough will be very wet.

Turn out 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 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.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.