Irish Soda Bread


Serves: 5
Total Calories: 704
Yield: 2 Medium Loaves

Ingredients

5 cups white unbleached flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) soft butter
1 3/4 cups buttermilk (as a substitute you can use plain yogurt)
1 egg beaten
1 cup currants

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle some flour on a large baking sheet and set aside.

2. Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and work it in with your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly and even in texture. Make a well in the center, pour in the buttermilk, and add the egg. Beat the egg into the buttermilk until it is well blended, then continue to stir with a wooden spoon just long enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

3. Add the currants, then knead the mixture to distribute them evenly. (The purpose of the kneading is not to develop gluten, as with yeast dough, so don’t overdo it.) If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little more flour.

4. Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between them to allow for expansion. Dip a sharp knife in flour and use it to make two deep cuts into each loaf (almost—but not quite—to the bottom) in the shape of a plus sign. As the bread bakes, the cuts will spread apart.

5. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Cool thoroughly on a wire rack before slicing.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 5
Total Calories: 704
Calories from Fat: 92

This Irish Soda Bread recipe is from the Great Natural Breads Made Easy Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.




"I must say this is the best recipe software I have ever owned."
-Rob

"Your DVO cookbook software saves me time and money!"
-Mary Ann

"Call it nutrition software, meal planning software, cooking software, recipe manager, or whatever you want. It is the software I use to stay healthy!"
-David

"Your software is the best recipe organizer and menu planner out there!"
-Toni

"Thank you so very much for creating such a wonderful cooking recipe program. I think this is the best recipe program there is!"
-Sarah

"I saw lots of recipe software for PC computers but I was having a hard time finding really good mac recipe software. I'm so glad I discovered Cook'n! It's so nice to have all my recipes in a computer recipe organizer. Cook'n has saved me so much time with meal planning and the recipe nutrition calculator is amazing!!!
-Jill

My favorite is the Cook'n Recipe App.
-Tom