kicking off march with irish soda bread

Sunday's are for baking.  I don't know why, but for some reason when I wait until Sunday to bake, my cakes, cookies, pies and breads seem to come out better.   Maybe because I am a little more relaxed on Sunday.  

I'm doing my March Segment on The Vine tomorrow morning.   I want to mix in all things March.   March is for celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and it is the beginning of Spring.  It is also the basketball lover's March Madness.

I thought I would mix in the segments with some Irish green colors, as well as, some traditional Irish Soda Bread.   This wonderful bread comes together in about 10-15 minutes mixing time.    The whole bread is done within the hour.    The aroma's of the bread make your kitchen smell amazing.    What is the key to this bread?  Buttermilk!  The buttermilk and the soda form together to make a nice light bread without all that heavy yeast.

Another key ingredient is the cold Irish butter.   In fact, I love this Kerry Gold Irish butter so much, I also used it to make my mashed potatoes.  This butter isn't as sweet/salty as normal butter.    I absolutely love it.  Using cold butter will guarantee you a lovely flaky texture to your bread.

The steps to making this bread is fairly easy.  Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.   Having said that, be sure and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before you knead the dough.

You also don't want to over-work your dough.   It is suppose to look a little messy.  If you cut a "X" in the top of the dough before baking, it will help the center bake through.   You can use a cast iron skillet.   I couldn't find mine so, I lined a baking sheet and placed my dough in the center of it.  It came out just perfect.

Ingredients

•  1 and 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 4 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for your hands and counter)  I used Kings Arthur Unbleached all Purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons  granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed  (Splurge and use the Kerry Gold Unsalted Butter)
• 1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F    Line a baking sheet -----  place dough in the center of the lined baking sheet.
2. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Set aside. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a a fork, pastry cutter, knife, or your fingers. Work the dough until into coarse crumbs, then stir in the raisins.  Make a "well (small circle) in the middle of your bowl and pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough it is too stiff to stir. With floured hands on a lightly floured surface, work the dough into an (approximately) 8 or 9 inch round loaf as best you can. Knead the dough for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.
3. Transfer the dough in the center of your lined baking sheet. Using a very sharp knife, cut an X into the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45 minutes. Loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top.  P.S. I covered mine loose at the beginning and took it off about 5 minutes before done.)  I also turned my baking sheet in the oven half-way through.  
4. Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm, at room temperature, or toasted with desired toppings/spreads.  P.S.  This is excellent with Fig Preserves.   My husband likes his bread with powdered sugar on top.  He likes it a little sweater.  I used the organic powdered sugar.

You can cover and store bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week..

Enjoy!

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