Aunt Kathys Irish Soda Bread Recipes

MARILYN O'REILLY'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and stir well to mix.
• Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients.
• Stir in the caraway seeds if used and the raisins.
• In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber spatula.
• Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.
• Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with plenty of sweet butter and bitter orange marmalade.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Using your hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft but not wet and sticky.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. Knead the dough lightly for a few seconds, then pat the dough into a round about 1 1/2 inches thick. Place it on a buttered baking sheet and using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross in the center of the dough reaching out all the way to the sides.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and continue to bake until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes longer. Serve warm.

NANA DOT'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets.
• Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until evenly blended. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the raisins, currants, and caraway seeds, then make a well in the center and pour in the milk and vinegar. Stir with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Turn the dough out onto a well floured work surface, and knead gently 8 to 10 times. Divide the dough into two balls, and place onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

LIQUOR-INFUSED IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl; add softened butter and mix until evenly moistened.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour 1 cup buttermilk, egg, and 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur into the well; add raisins to the buttermilk mixture. Knead mixture until raisins are spread throughout the dough. Form dough into a disk and cut an 'X' into the top of the dough; place onto prepared baking sheet and set aside.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir 1/4 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur into the melted butter until smooth; remove from heat and generously brush liquid over the dough.
• Bake in preheated oven, brushing liquid onto loaf every 15 minutes, until no longer doughy in the center, about 45 minutes. Let bread cool on pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooking rack to cool completely.

AUNT KATHY'S IRISH SODA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a heavy pan.
• Mix flour, sugar, raisins, caraway seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and milk to the flour mixture; stir until evenly incorporated. Transfer dough to the prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until when the bread is tapped on top it sounds hollow, about 75 minutes.