Recipe: Irish Soda Bread

Want a fun recipe to bring the magic of St. Patrick's Day all year round? Here you go! This makes four loaves, so it's great for sharing with loved ones. The dough also freezes well, so you can toss three in the freezer and pull them out as you crave some freshly baked bread. (You don't even need to defrost them, just put them straight in!)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus a bit extra for work surface & for dusting on top
3 1/2 cups pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick (the 4 oz size or equivalent) butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups raisins, soaked in warm water for 20-60 minutes, then drained
3 cups buttermilk plus more if needed (see below)
extra flour for dusting


Go ahead and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift both of the flours, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl, and follow with the sugar and cream of tartar; mixing well.

Next, cut in the butter and shortening (you can use your hands if you need to!), so you're left with pea sized bits.

Pour in the buttermilk, mixing until it just comes together. Be careful: you want it simply wet, not ooey gooey!

Then gently mix in the raisins, and place the dough on a floured board. You'll want to carefully roll the dough into a log looking roll, and cut it into four. Roll each into a ball, about 7" or so wide. Make a big X across the top of the bread with a sharp knife (not too deep!) and dust with a tiny bit of flour. (If you are planning to freeze any of these, the disposable baking dishes you can find at places like the Dollar Tree come in handy so you can just toss straight into the oven when you're ready, and it helps keep them from being smooshed in the freezer!)

Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the bread sounds hollow when you tape it. If you're placing one straight from the freezer into the oven, you'll want to add about 20 minutes to compensate for it being frozen.

I know some of the ingredients aren't always in every kitchen, but it's worth getting them to make this and other recipes!