TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD

It is unlikely you will find traditional Irish Soda Bread in your local bakery so if you want this treat, you will have to make it yourself. Luckily, Irish Soda Bread is quite easy to make. It requires no yeast and is a show -stopper to serve. Mix it up, pop it in the oven and be enjoying your fist piece within an hour. Irish Soda Bread is good a breakfast, lunch and supper!

To ensure a light crust and very tender crumb, do not over work the dough. You will also want to serve this fresh so plan to bake it the day you will eat it.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-tablespoon caraway seeds
1/4 cup unsalted chilled butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup dried currants or raisins
1 cup low- fat buttermilk
1 to 2 tablespoons skim milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and caraway seeds. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until it forms crumbs the size of small peas. Stir in currants. Add buttermilk; stir just until moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about six to eight times. Shape into round loaf and place dough on greased baking sheet. Cut cross into loaf that goes about 1/4 inch deep. Brush top of loaf with milk. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet. Cut into wedges to serve. Best if served warm the same day you bake it.
Recipe makes six to eight servings.

Additional Soda Bread Recipes

Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread
A good old fashioned soda bread with just the basic ingredients. Buttermilk gives this crusty loaf a good flavor. One of the best Irish soda breads available!

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1-cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4-cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.
Makes 1 1-1/2 pound loaf
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories 172
Protein 3g
Total Fat 7g
Sodium 260mg
Cholesterol 17mg
Carbohydrates 22g
Fiber 0g

Irish Soda Bread I
A delicious and easy recipe originating directly from Ireland!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Two eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch round cast iron skillet or a 9-inch round baking or cake pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour (reserving 1 tablespoon), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, raisins and caraway seeds. In a small bowl, blend eggs, buttermilk and sour cream. Stir the liquid mixture into flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Knead dough in bowl about 10 to 12 strokes. Dough will be sticky. Place the dough in the prepared skillet or pan and pat down. Cut a 4x3/4 inch deep slit in the top of the bread. Dust with reserved flour
Bake in a preheated 350-degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 65 to 75 minutes. Let cool and turn bread onto a wire rack.
Recipe makes eight servings.
Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories 561
Protein 12g
Total Fat 9g
Sodium 517mg
Cholesterol 67mg
Carbohydrates 113g
Fiber 4g

Irish Soda Bread II
This recipe is made with sour cream and always comes out moist and keeps for several days. Ingredients

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Three eggs
1 pint sour cream
1 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325-degrees (165 degrees C). Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, sour cream and raisins and mix until just combined. Distribute batter evenly between the two pans. Bake loaves at 325-degrees (165 degrees C) for one hour.
Recipe makes two loaves.
Nutritional Information per Slice:
Calories 217
Protein 5g
Total Fat 6g
Sodium 194mg
Cholesterol 43mg
Carbohydrates 37g
Fiber 1g

Irish Soda Bread III
Great addition to corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. Ingredients

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins
Two eggs
1 tablespoon caraway seed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees (175 degrees C).
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Beat eggs with buttermilk. Add the eggs and buttermilk into the flour mixture; stir in raisins.
Pour dough onto lightly floured board. Shape into a round loaf, adding flour if necessary. Place in a lightly greased springform pan. Sprinkle top with caraway seeds if desired.
Bake at 350-degrees (175 degrees C) for one hour or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
Recipe makes one loaf.
Nutritional Information per Slice:
Calories 194
Protein 6g
Total Fat 2g
Sodium 222mg
Cholesterol 36mg
Carbohydrates 40g
Fiber 1g

Irish Soda Bread IV
Irish Soda Bread for the bread machine. This recipe makes a wonderfully tasty loaf.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4-1/4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
3 teaspoons caraway seed
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2/3 cup raisins

Directions:
Add ingredients in order suggested by your manufacturer. Select fruit bread or basic bread setting. Add raisins when indicated by your manufacturer.
Recipe makes one, two-pound loaf of bread.
Nutritional Information per Slice:
Calories 185
Protein 6g
Total Fat 2g
Sodium 180mg
Cholesterol 0mg
Carbohydrates 36g
Fiber 1g

Irish Soda Bread V
The sour cream in this recipe is not necessary, but will give the bread a better texture. A reduced or non-fat sour cream is not recommended.

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup margarine
5 teaspoons baking powder
Two eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons caraway seed
2-1/2 cups raisins
4 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons milk (optional)
3 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Use fingers or a pastry cutter to press in butter or margarine, like a pie crust. When mixture looks fine and crumbly, add raisins and caraway seeds. Mix together and then add eggs, buttermilk, and sour cream. If mixture is not moist, add milk. Pour into two greased and lightly floured loaf pans or a frying pan.
Bake at 375-degrees (190 degrees C) for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean.
Recipe makes two, 8-by-4-inch loaves.
Nutritional Information per Slice:
Calories 247
Protein 6g
Total Fat 6g
Sodium 358mg
Cholesterol 24mg
Carbohydrates 43g
Fiber 2g

Irish Soda Bread VI
For this recipe, you can use an egg and slightly less milk for a different texture, if desired. In addition, you can use water instead of milk and/or buttermilk, but the loaf will be much more dense done this way.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda. Add whole wheat flour and sugar; stir to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together buttermilk, milk and oil.
Add milk mixture to flour mixture; mix just until combined. Divide dough in half and form into two round, flat loaves. Place loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375-degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
Recipe makes two loaves of bread.
Nutritional Information per Slice:
Calories 144
Protein 5g
Total Fat 1g
Sodium 230mg
Cholesterol 1mg
Carbohydrates 28g
Fiber 3g

Irresistible Irish Soda Bread
This recipe is a very easy one to prepare. In addition, it makes a great tasting bread! This bread will taste best if made the day before, or several hours before serving.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325-degrees (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and baking soda. Blend eggs and buttermilk together, and add all at once to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Stir in butter. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the bread comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Wrap in foil for several hours, or overnight, for best flavor.
Recipe makes one, 9x5-inch loaf
Nutritional Information per Slice:
Calories 192
Protein 5g
Total Fat 5g
Sodium 500mg
Cholesterol 29mg
Carbohydrates 32g
Fiber 0g

Like the goodness of the five loaves and two fishes,
Which God divided among the five thousand men,
May the blessing of the King who so divided
Be upon our share of this common meal.

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