This Irish Soda Bread is easy to make, crispy on the outside, and dense but still soft on the inside. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any time of year!
1/4cup(60 grams) cold unsalted buttercubed into smaller pieces
1cup(160 grams) raisinsor dried currants
1and 1/2 cups(360 ml) buttermilk
1largeegg
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Add the cold cubed butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork until you have small pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the raisins and set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg until fully combined. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir the dough together until just combined. The dough will be a little sticky, this is okay.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface, flour the top of the dough and your hands, then knead the dough together a few times adding more flour as needed until you can form it into a ball that's about 7-inches in diameter.
Cut an 'X' into the top of the bread and brush with a little extra buttermilk if desired.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 45-60 minutes or until the top of the bread is browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing into it.
Notes
Storage instructions: Leftover bread may be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for 3-4 days.Freezing instructions: Bread will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.Adapted from Food Network.