"This recipe, along with more than 175 others, is explained and illustrated in The Culinary Institute of America's Breakfasts and Brunches cookbook (Lebhar-Friedman 2005, $35)"
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
4 cups cake flour (If you use all purpose, be especially careful not to over mix!)*whole grain flour use 1 1/2 cup milk.
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening ( I used butter)
1 cup dark raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional...it will taste like rye bread if you use caraway!)
1 cup cold milk (or buttermilk) *1 1/2 cup if you use whole grain flour!
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt together into a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse meal.
Add the raisins, caraway seeds, and milk. Mix the dough until just combined; avoid over mixing as this will cause the dough to toughen. If you use whole grain flour, let the dough absorb moisture 10 minutes before forming into a loaf. Don't add more flour. Turn the dough into a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a ball ( I rolled it in oats). Form the dough into a loaf, or cut into sixteen equal pieces to make rolls. Dust with flour and lightly score an "X" across the top of each roll or loaf with a sharp knife.
Bake the soda bread until it is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (0h come on!! Just test it with a meat thermometer 175 degrees) , about eight to ten minutes for rolls and twenty-five to thirty minutes for loaves. Wrap the bread in a tea towel directly out of the oven. Cool the soda bread in the tea towel on a wire rack before serving. It can be held at room temperature for up to two days or frozen for up to four weeks.
I like it best right out of the oven!
There you go!
3 comments:
I was just trying to figure out a quick bread for dinner and I have to admit, I never would have thought of Irish Soda bread, but its just the answer.
Woohoo!
You will love it!!
i ended up going with good ol' biscuits. The last time I made soda bread it wasn't a whole lot different from a giant biscuit anyways.
And if I were being totally honest and forthright I would also add that I put cheddar and garlic in those biscuits, and then slathered them in melted butter, garlic, parsley, and parmesan. I dared eat only 1...but ultimately I ate 2 and a half...lol
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