Irish Soda Bread
Irish Soda Bread is a "quick" bread, that is it uses
baking soda or baking powder for leavening instead of yeast (which takes much
longer). Because the leavening agent in this case needs to neutralize the
sour buttermilk, baking soda is used instead of baking powder. I have based
this recipe on one from Mel London, Bread Winners, Rodale Press, 1979.
Ingredients
- 4 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 7 to 8 cups unbleached flour
- 2 cups raisins
- 3 T. honey
- 1/2 cup caraway seeds
- 2 T. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 T. salt
Preheat oven to 375°. Combine buttermilk, eggs, and soda. Stir vigorously.
Combine flour, raisins, honey, caraway, baking powder, and salt. Pour buttermilk
mixture into flour mixture and stir well. Divide batter into two. Place
in 2 buttered and floured loaf pans. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, until
cake tester comes clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan. This freezes very well
when completely cool.