Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Irish Soda Bread

from Lora Brody's The New England Table

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups (22.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups 112 ounces) buttermilk (see note), at room temperature
4 tablespoons 11/2 stick; 2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
Freshly grated zest of 1 large orange
2/3 cup (2.7 ounces) golden raisins
1/2 cup (2 ounces) walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

Make 1 Round Loaf

This and many other wonderful
Lora Brody's The New England Table
from Chronicle Books

Don't wait for St. Patrick's Day to make this classic quick bread that's great at any meal: toasted with butter and jam for breakfast; for sandwiches at lunch; or for dinner in a bread basket or to mop up gravy. If you're a bread novice, this is a good place to try your hand, as you get to knead it a bit-just like a yeast dough. Take care not to overknead it, as that will make the bread tough. As with the scones, you'll find that homemade is much better than store-bought.

Preheat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the center position.

Put the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 5 seconds, or just until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk, melted butter, and orange zest. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the raisins and walnuts and continue mixing just until a rough dough forms and the nuts and raisins are evenly distributed, about 1 minute.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead it gently a few times until it becomes a cohesive ball. Form it into a mound approximately 7 inches in diameter. With a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top that extends the length of the dough and goes about 1/4 inch deep. Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle with the caraway seeds. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, covering the top loosely with aluminum foil if it begins to brown too much, until the top is deep brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 200°F. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing.

The completely cooled loaf can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

NOTE: Powdered buttermilk, found in the baking section of most supermarkets, eliminates the need to keep fresh buttermilk in the refrigerator. Simply add to your recipe with the dry ingredients the amount of powder specified on the package, then substitute water for the buttermilk called for in the recipe. Store the powdered buttermilk in the refrigerator for up to 1 year.