Pri's Pantry: March 2014

Irish soda bread is an easy to make quick bread that is traditional for St Patrick’s Day celebrations. It’s a great all-purpose bread to make because not only can you put an almost unlimited number of variations on the basic recipe, but it is so easy that anyone can bake it ,no matter how intimidated you are by the thought of baking bread. And since doesn't contain yeast you don't need to wait for it to rise.
Soda Bread Facts:

Although the Irish didn't invent Soda Bread it is most often identified with them.
The "soft wheat" is the only suitable flour that can grow in Ireland's climate, and when mixed like a traditional dough it doesn't form any gluten like a traditional yeast bread, it does work well with a soda bread recipe.

The Idea of using soda to leaven bread was done by the American Indians centuries ago, where they used pearl-ash or Potash( a natural soda in wood ashes) in their breads to make them rise.

The cross on the soda bread has several explanations, Legend has it that folks did it to "let the devil out" while it's baking for good luck, and others say that it made it easy to divide into 4 pieces. It was also a symbol for a cross during Christian holidays.

On this recipe that I made I used organic dried zante currants and Hunza golden raisins and I skipped the caraway seeds.

Irish Soda Bread with Golden Raisins and Dried Currants

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1/2 cup dried currants

1/2 cup chopped golden raisins

1 tablespoon of butter melted and 2 tablespoon of buttermilk to brush it

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Lightly grease an oven safe pan. You can use a cast iron pan a round pyrex dish , I used my Le Creuset dutch oven, and that worked really well.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, butter,after its mixed add the currants and raisins . 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 pan. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 2 tablespoon of buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.

Enjoy,

Pri =)