Spread Beauty Through Baking: Pinch Me ☘️Irish Soda Bread

It is that time of year again, when Corned Beef graces the meat isle and green becomes the color of choice for frosted baked goods.

Now first things first... I'm not Irish. Glad I got that out of the way so I could tell you that although I don't particularly love celebrating St. Patricks Day and I don't enjoy wearing green I do however like baked goods. So when I see Irish Soda Bread pop up every where I become an official participant in celebrating clovers and rainbows and... well you get the point.

Irish Soda bread, if done right, taste like a delicious scone except it is perfectly acceptable to eat this with dinner and it also is lovely with a cup of coffee for breakfast. 

Another great reason to make Irish Soda bread is because you can tell your friends you know how to make bread without all the fuss of yeast and letting it rise and rolling it out. We have all, hopefully, seen The Great British Bake Off and we know what can go wrong during bread week. This recipe however is foolproof and simple and would make even Paul Hollywood impressed! 

 This Irish Soda Bread Recipe is from The Model Bakery in St. Helena located in the Napa Valley. They are best known for their English muffins (fresh from the griddle). 

One note about this recipe is that you can make this with or without the currants. If you really don't like them leave them out. This will make your bread look a little less "pretty" but not to fret, it will still taste amazing and with a side of Irish cheese you'll feel like a baking goddess eating something this delicious out of your own oven. Also I personally don’t love Caraway seeds and usually it’s not something I keep on hand so that also is optional and not necessary. A nice variation is to add a teaspoon of orange zest instead, it gives the soda bread a nice brightness of flavor that I particular enjoy.  

IRISH SODA BREAD

2 1/3 c flour
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
3 Tbs cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 c drive currants (optional)
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
1 c + 2Tbs buttermilk

Oven 400 degrees
Dust the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan with flour
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add butter and stir to coat
Using a pastry blender or two knives (or your fingers- which I used), cut in the butter until crumbly with some pea-size pieces.
Stir in currants and caraway seeds, if using.
Stir in buttermilk to make a moist, soft dough, being sure to moisten all the dry bits on the bottom of the bowl.
Knead in the bowl just a few times so it comes together- this is not a smooth dough
Shape into a ball and sprinkle with a little bit of flour.
Transfer to pan.
Using a sharp knife cut a shallow 4 inch wide X in the top.
Bake until top is deep golden brown, 35 - 40 minutes
Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack 5 - 10 minutes

Serving suggestions:
Corned beef and cabbage
Butter and jam
Irish cheese

Spreading Beauty Through Baking Series is brought to you by Lyndsay Weyers who works as a Medical Director in the Division of Public Health. She has a passion for good food and delicious baked goods and spends her free time with her husband (Dr. Weyers) traveling, exploring and eating exotic food. When at home, she enjoys organizing her ever expanding cookbook library and trying new things in the kitchen. She shares tried and true recipes that she hopes will encourage others to explore the wonderful world of baking.