Bon Appétit (October 2002)
**Check out our 2009 Irish Soda Bread post**
Though this isn't a new recipe from Bon Appétit, it seemed appropriate to stick with the magazine for an accompaniment to our Irish Corned Beef and Vegetables. We have virtually no experience baking bread, and therefore had assumed that making Irish Soda Bread would be a difficult task.
We were very wrong.
This recipe is phenomenal in that it's not only simple, but it requires no special equipment. After mixing together the ingredients, you simply pour it in a skillet and bake. The result, as you can see, was a beautiful golden soda bread. The raisins added a nice sweetness to counteract the bite of the caraway.
Save this recipe for a rainy day!
Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway Seeds
Servings: Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Ingredients
5 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature
2 1/2 cups raisins
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter heavy ovenproof 10- to 12-inch-diameter skillet with 2- to 2 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in until coarse crumbs form. Stir in raisins and caraway seeds. Whisk buttermilk and egg in medium bowl to blend. Add to dough; using wooden spoon, stir just until well incorporated (dough will be very sticky).
Transfer dough to prepared skillet; smooth top, mounding slightly in center. Using small sharp knife dipped into flour, cut 1-inch-deep X in top center of dough. Bake until bread is cooked through and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool bread in skillet 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in foil; store at room temperature.)
