Description
Rustic Irish soda bread brings hearty warmth from traditional Irish kitchens, blending simple ingredients into a crusty, comforting loaf. Dense crumb and rich flavor invite you to savor a slice of Ireland’s culinary heritage.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups (960 milliliters) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) raisins
- 1 and 3/4 cups (420 milliliters) buttermilk
- 1 egg
Dry Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) salt
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) sugar
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients in a spacious mixing vessel, thoroughly blending flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt until uniformly distributed.
- Create a central depression in the dry mixture, forming a welcoming crater for liquid and egg additions.
- Gently introduce beaten egg and plump raisins into the flour crater, then gradually pour buttermilk into the mixture.
- Use hands or wooden utensil to merge ingredients, transforming them into a cohesive, slightly tacky dough with minimal handling.
- Transfer dough onto a lightly dusted work surface, executing a brief, tender kneading technique to maintain softness.
- Mold the dough into a rounded, rustic loaf with smooth, gentle movements.
- Carefully position the shaped loaf onto a prepared baking sheet, ensuring even placement.
- Utilize a sharp knife to carve a pronounced cross atop the loaf, allowing steam to escape during baking.
- Slide the baking sheet into a preheated oven, maintaining a consistent 425°F temperature.
- Monitor bread’s transformation, watching for a rich golden exterior and listening for a hollow acoustic signature when tapped, typically requiring 25-30 minutes of baking time.
Notes
- Flour selection matters most for texture, so choose an unbleached all-purpose flour for authentic results.
- Raisins can be swapped with dried cranberries or currants for varied flavor profiles and dietary preferences.
- Kneading gently prevents tough bread, ensuring a soft and tender crumb that melts in your mouth.
- Room temperature buttermilk helps ingredients blend smoothly and creates a more consistent dough consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Irish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg