Irish Soda Bread

It’s that time of the year where you begin thinking of corn beef and cabbage, nice Irish stews, and the standard beers. I know what I have been thinking of, and my little helper was asking me to make bread. My four year old daughter and I decided to make an Irish Soda Bread. A bread so nice and packed with raisins which she really loves. This is a sure make, not only during St. Patrick’s Day season, but any time of the year.

This recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and about an hour to bake.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups of Buttermilk
• 1 cup of raisins

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with some butter.

To a mixing bowl, add in the sugar and butter. Begin to cream this. As it comes together, add in one egg at a time, and combine. To a different mixing bowl, add in your dry ingredients and mix really well. Now, add some of the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture, continuing to mix. Add in some of the buttermilk. Repeat this process until you have a nice dough.

On a floured surface, lay out your dough and add flour to the top of the dough, as well as your hands. This can get a bit sticky, but have no fear. The goal is to knead the dough for a few minutes, bringing it all together until it is no longer sticky.

Now, shape the dough into a round shape, approximately 7 inches or so in diameter and place on the greased baking sheet.  With a perforated knife, make an X in the middle going about an inch down into the dough. Place in the oven and cook for approximately one hour, until golden brown and hollow when you tap on the top. You can always do the knife in the middle, and if it comes out without dough on it, you are good to go.

Serve warm, sliced, toasted, or dip a slice in an egg wash and make french toast. Serve it any way you like it.

Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don’t want to press your luck.  ~Author Unknown