Anjali and I made Ina Garten’s version of Irish Soda Bread yesterday at work to accompany the traditional Irish dinner we cooked for our clients. Dense but very moist, lightly sweet from the currants and just a hint of orange zest. Slathered with salty Kerrygold butter it spoke to my inner heritage, satisfying a deep longing for home made rustic bread.
Skip the green beer this year but whip up a loaf of Irish soda bread to eat cold with afternoon tea or toasted in the morning with coffee.
Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home
Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
- 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup dried currants
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Wishing you the luck of the Irish on this St. Patrick’s Day.
xo,
LEH
Julie and Lauren
March 17, 2011 at 8:35 am (12 years ago)Mm looks good, Lydia! I like anything with currants 🙂 My Mom has that irish salted butter at home. Had never seen it before.
Xx
Sarah
March 17, 2011 at 8:45 am (12 years ago)Looks SO good!
Ame
March 17, 2011 at 8:08 pm (12 years ago)I tried this bread and it did not cook all the way through. Did you use a convection oven? It did smell amazing though!
applesandonions
March 18, 2011 at 9:46 am (12 years ago)Awww I love that your mom has this butter. Us Irish gals know our butter 🙂 xo, LEH
applesandonions
March 18, 2011 at 9:51 am (12 years ago)Hi Ame, I did not use a convection oven and my bread cooked in 45 minutes. It was still a tiny bit wet when I cut into it hot but it died up considerably as it cooled to be a perfect texture. You may want to get an oven thermometer to test your oven, my oven at home is 50 degrees cooler than the dial reads which I discovered with my trusty oven therm. xo, LEH