Irish Soda Bread

I prefer my soda bread with just a hint of sweetness (especially in the yummy crusty outer part), so this recipe, which has a little more sugar than most, fits the bill perfectly.

This recipe uses caraway seeds, the seeds that are in rye bread, for those of you who are unfamiliar with them. Although I put 1 Tablespoon in the ingredients list above, I actually always make it with 2 Tablespoons. I like the depth of flavor that they add, but the taste isn’t for everyone, so 2 is probably too much if you aren’t sure whether you like caraway seeds, then I recommend 1. If you know you don’t like caraway, you can omit them altogether if you wish.

I also use orange zest in this recipe, because I use a raisin/cranberry blend in the bread, and the orange complements the cranberry. I think the addition of the zest would be tasty even if you use just raisins, because it gives a wonderful hint of citrus, but you can easily leave it out if you want a very traditional flavor.

DIRECTIONS
1. Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, zest and salt and stir well to mix.

3. Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients. (I do this with my paddle mixer, with the butter cut into slices)

4. Stir in the caraway seeds if used and the dried fruit.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Mix it into the dough.

6. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, kneeding for a few minutes, maybe 3 or 4.

7. Shape it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf to one cookie sheet or a jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a cross in the top of the dough round (I forgot to do this, so I stabbed at it with a butter knife while it was in the oven…this is why the top in my pic looks like a cat attacked it).

8. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350F and cook for about 30-35 minutes more, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.

9. Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with butter and/or marmalade.