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St. Patrick's Day: Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Source of Recipe


From "Elegant Irish Cooking" by Noel Cullen



List of Ingredients



• 4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 2 tsp grated orange zest
  
• ¼ cup butter, softened
  
• 1 cup dried currants or golden raisins
  
• 1 to 1½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
  
• ¼ cup honey
  
• 1 egg, beaten with 2 Tbsp milk (for glaze)
  






Instructions



1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
   In a large bowl, sift and combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add salt, orange zest and caraway seeds. Using a pastry cutter or fingers, cut in or blend butter into flour mixture until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the currants (or raisins). Set aside.
   
   
2. In a medium bowl, combine honey with 1½ cups buttermilk. Stir into flour mixture until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn out onto a floured surface (dough will be sticky). Knead 1 minute. Cut dough in half. Shape each piece into a round loaf. Place on a greased and flour-dusted baking sheet. Dip a sharp knife into flour and cut a cross ½-inch deep, across top of each loaf. Brush loaves with egg-and-milk glaze. Let stand for 10 minutes before baking.
   
   
3. Bake in preheated oven, 35 to 40 minutes. To test for doneness, turn the bread over and tap underneath. If the bread sounds hollow, it is fully cooked. Let cool on racks before slicing.
   
   Slice thin or cut in wedges.