Irish Soda Bread
A dense, slightly sweet quick bread studded with raisins and caraway, baked in Irish-American households across Boston.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 240 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking sheet or cast-iron skillet
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- fat
- 5
- carbs
- 42
- protein
- 5
- calories
- 240
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Dust a sheet pan with flour.
- 2
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- 3
Work the cold butter into the flour mixture until it looks like small coarse crumbs.
- 4
Stir in the raisins and caraway seeds.
- 5
Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Gently mix them into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- 6
Put the dough onto a floured counter. Gently shape it into a round loaf.
- 7
Place the loaf on the sheet pan. Cut a deep cross into the top with a sharp knife.
- 8
Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Let it cool before slicing.
Chef's tips
Touch the dough as little as possible so the bread stays soft. Cut a deep cross on top so it bakes evenly, and let it cool completely before slicing.
Storage
Store wrapped at room temperature up to 3 days.
Reheating
Toast slices lightly or warm briefly in the oven.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Mixing the dough too much, which makes the bread heavy and tough.
- •Forgetting to cut a cross into the top, which leaves the center undercooked.
Serving suggestions
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