Monday, March 09, 2009
Irish Soda Bread
Traditional Irish bread was not made with raisins as they were too expensive for peasant farmers. Here in the United States soda bread is referred to the scone like bread levend with baking soda. Soda bread makes a wonderful breakfast treat and is even better toasted with a little butter.
5 C sifted flour
3/4 C sugar
2 t baking power
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 lb butter
2 1/2 C soaked raisins
2 1/2 C buttermilk
1 egg
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Pre heat oven to 375. Sift the flour. Add baking power, baking soda and salt to the flour and stir.
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Cut the chilled butter.
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Combined the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor. Pulse until it just begins to come together.
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Mix your buttermilk and egg in a large bowl.
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Add raisins and mix together.
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Add the flour and mix until flour is incorporated. Do not over mix! As this will develop gluten and you will end up with Irish bricks not the light but dense Irish Soda Bread you were hoping for.
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Divide the dough into two equal pieces using enough flour to keep it from sticking to your hands and the table. Shape the pieces into round loaves, place on a sheet pan generously dusted with flour. Sprinkle with sugar.
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Bake for 45min to an hour until loaves are dark golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
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Transfer to a rack to cool before cutting.
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