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Irish-American Soda Bread

Irish-American Soda Bread is a dense and slightly sweet loaf, studded with raisins. I like to serve it just slightly warm or at room temperature with softened Irish butter.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 8 servings (1 loaf)
Calories: 405 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American , Irish

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour , plus more for kneading, measured using the spoon-and-level method*
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
  • 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups buttermilk , preferably whole**
  • 1 large egg , lightly beaten
  • 1 cup seedless raisins or currants , (I use mixed raisins) AND/OR
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet. 
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut 4 tablespoons of cold butter into small cubes. Cut butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or a fork until corse crumbs form.
  3. Stir in raisins/currants and/or caraway seeds (if using). Make a well in the center of the bowl. Pour beaten egg and buttermilk into the well. (Alternately, you can beat the egg and buttermilk together in the measuring cup before adding them to the bowl.) Stir just until the dough begins to come together.
  4. Transfer the dough to a floured pastry board or mat. Knead with floured hands until the dough forms a ball. It will look scraggly. For a tender crumb, do not over-knead!
  5. Form dough into a 6 to 7 inch round and transfer to the prepared skillet or baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross shape across the top of the round, stopping about an inch from each edge.
  6. Bake until loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs attached. This will take 40-50 minutes, depending on whether you've used a cast iron skillet or baking sheet. (The skillet usually takes a few extra minutes than the baking sheet.)
  7. Watch the bread while it's baking. If it starts to brown too much before the center is cooked, loosely lay a piece of foil over the top.
  8. While the bread is baking, melt remaining tablespoon of butter. Remove loaf from oven and immediately brush with butter. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving.
  9. This bread is best enjoyed the day it is baked. Leftovers can still be eaten the next day if the cooled loaf is tightly-wrapped in a double layer of foil and stored at room temperature. The bread will be denser on the second day.

Notes

  • *For best results, read about the ingredient brands and varieties I like to use for this recipe in the "Ingredients" section in the article above.
  • **The amount of buttermilk you need will range from 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups. Start with 1-1/2 cups and if the dough isn't coming together, add an additional 1/4 cup, 1 tablespoonful at a time. I almost always use the full 1-3/4 cups with the brands I use, but you might not need it all.

Nutrition Information

Serving 0.125loaf Calories 405kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 70g (23%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 45mg (15%) Sodium 789mg (33%) Potassium 406mg (12%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 335IU (7%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 128mg (13%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings (1 loaf)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 405

% Daily Value*

Serving 0.125loaf
Calories 405kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 70g 23%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 45mg 15%
Sodium 789mg 33%
Potassium 406mg 9%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 335IU 7%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 128mg 13%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.