Mary Donoghue's Irish Bread

Recipe by Sheila CrawCourse: Breakfast/DessertCuisine: American

Servings

8-10

servings

Prep time

minutes

Baking Time

minutes

A rich, golden-brown soda bread featuring the sweetness of pre-soaked raisins and the warm, slightly savory spice of caraway seeds. This rustic loaf achieves a tender, dense interior and a firm, crusty exterior by starting in a high-heat oven, a characteristic of traditional Irish baking. It is leavened primarily by baking soda and buttermilk and made rich and flavorful with the inclusion of salted butter and sugar.

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour: 4 cups
Granulated Sugar: 1 cup
Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon
Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon
Salted Butter: 1 stick (softened)
Buttermilk: 1 1/2 cups (for mixing and coating)
Raisins (Black & Golden): 1 cup (pre-soaked in water)
Black & Golden Caraway Seeds: 3 tablespoons (optional)

Directions

Prepare the Dry Mix: In a large bowl, combine the 4 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
Cut in the Butter: Add the softened stick of salted butter to the dry ingredients. Use your hands or a pastry blender to mix the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
Add Wet Ingredients and Seeds: Stir in the 1 cup of pre-soaked (and drained) raisins and the 3 tablespoons of caraway seeds (if using). Gradually mix in $1 \frac{1}{2}$ cups of buttermilk.
Form the Dough: Gently knead all the ingredients together briefly until a shaggy, cohesive dough mound forms. Do not over-knead.
Prepare for Baking: Grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Place the dough mound into the prepared skillet.
Score and Coat: Lightly coat the top of the dough with a little extra buttermilk. Using a sharp knife, make a deep cross ("+") on the top of the dough.
Bake: Place the skillet into a preheated $450^{\circ}\text{F}$ oven for 10 minutes.
Finish Baking: After 10 minutes, lower the oven temperature to $350^{\circ}\text{F}$ and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes.
Test for Doneness: The top of the bread should be a deep golden brown. Test for doneness by inserting a clean knife or wooden skewer into the center; it should come out clean.
Enjoy: Allow the bread to cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy!