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St. Patrick's Day: Irish Soda Bread

Source of Recipe


From "The Gourmet Cookbook"



List of Ingredients



• 4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1 Tbsp sugar
  
• 1-1/2 Tbsp caraway seeds
  
• 1 cup golden raisins
  
• 1-3/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk
  
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  






Instructions



1. Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a large baking sheet, knocking off excess flour.
   
   
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugar, caraway seeds, and raisins. Add buttermilk and stir just until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.
   
   
3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead with floured hands about 8 times, until slightly less sticky but still soft. Halve dough and form each half into a ball.
   
   
4. Pat out each ball into a domed 6-inch round on baking sheet, spacing them about 4 inches apart. Cut a large 1/2-inch-deep X in top of each loaf with a sharp knife, then brush loaves with butter.
   
   
5. Bake until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 2 hours before serving. The bread keeps, wrapped in foil, for up to 3 days at room temperature.
   
   Makes two 6-inch round loaves.