How to Make Irish Soda Bread from Scratch

Irish soda bread makes a wonderful treat for St. Patrick’s Day, but you can also enjoy it as a delicious afternoon snack. Baking a loaf of Irish bread is one of the simplest recipes, since it involves only four baking ingredients, flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. However, you can put your own twist on the classic Irish soda bread.

Prep time: 20 min
Bake time: 30 to 35 min
Total time: 50 to 55 min
Yield: 12 servings
Utensils: A large mixing bowl, a pastry blender, stirring spoon,

Ingredients:
All-purpose flour: 2 cups
Sugar (depending upon your taste): 1 to 2 tablespoons
Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
Baking soda: ½ teaspoon
Salt: ½ teaspoon
Finely shredded orange peel: 1 tablespoon
Butter: 3 tablespoons
Currants: 1/3 cup
Egg, lightly beaten: 1
Buttermilk: ¾ cup

Instructions

  • 1

    Take two cups of all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl.

  • 2

    Add two tablespoons of sugar, half teaspoon baking soda, half teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon finely shredded orange peel to the flour.

  • 3

    Also add three tablespoons of butter to the above dry mixture.

  • 4

    Take a pastry blender and blend the mixture well until it makes coarse crumbs.

  • 5

    Add 1/3 cups currants to the mixture and stir well.

  • 6

    In a small mixing bowl, pour ¾ cup butter milk and two eggs. Mix egg and buttermilk well.

  • 7

    Now pour this egg and buttermilk mixture into the bowl containing the mixture of flour, butter and other ingredients. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add eggs and buttermilk all at once.

  • 8

    Thoroughly stir this liquid into the dry ingredients using a large wooden spoon.

  • 9

    Now pour the mixture onto a surface lightly dusted with flour and knead it to make a smooth dough. The dough will continue to stick together as you keep on kneading it. Knead the dough just four to five times, over-kneading will make your bread hard.

  • 10

    Once you are done kneading, shape it into a round loaf of six to seven inches diameter.

  • 11

    Place your dough on a lightly greased baking sheet and cut it into four parts to form an X.

  • 12

    Bake the dough in a preheated oven (375 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 to 35 minutes.

  • 13

    Slice the bread and let it cool down a bit before you serve.

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