Marilyn O'Reilly Irish Soda Bread
Marilyn is the one credited with making up this recipe, don't know how true it is, but here it is. And very easy to make.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds, optional
1 cup raisins
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 400º. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and stir well to mix. Add the butter and rub in until the butter disappears into the dry ingredients. Stir in the caraway seeds if used and the raisins. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together and mix into the dough mixture with a rubber spatula. Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times, shaping it into a round loaf. Transfer the loaf to one cookie sheet or jelly roll pan covered with parchment or foil and cut a cross in the top. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350º and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes more, until well colored and a toothpick plunged into the center emerges clean.
Cool the soda bread on a rack and serve with plenty of sweet butter and bitter orange marmalade.
Don't omit the caraway seeds. I roast and crush some of mine, but the favor is fantastic.
You might have to cook it a lil longer, I did to a temp of 210º to get it done. Enjoy.
If you have no buttermilk add 1 tbs vinegar or lemon juice to make up a cup of milk.
Mix dry stuff together then add raisins & caraway seed and then add wet stuff ( egg and buttermilk). mix together and bake.
The Slashes
Soda bread is typically shaped into a flat, round loaf for baking. Like many European yeast breads, the top crust is usually slashed before the loaf goes into the oven. The soda-based dough will rise vigorously in the oven's heat, and slashing the top crust allows it to expand without creating large and unattractive cracks. The slashes can be made in any pattern, from rings to a cross-hatch design, but traditionally the loaf receives two simple slashes that form a cross.
The Symbolism
Like the crosses on the hot-cross buns served at Easter, the cross slashed into the top of a loaf of soda bread has symbolic importance. It was said to ward off the devil, providing a measure of ritual protection for the household. Similar traditions are observed in many parts of the Western world, especially in Catholic or Orthodox regions. Greek holiday breads often have a cross slashed into the loaf or molded on top with strips of extra dough, while in the Canadian province of Newfoundland -- which has a strong Irish tradition -- yeast breads are baked with three buns in each pan, to symbolize the Trinity.
Variations
The most traditional recipes make a very plain soda bread, which usually accompanies the rest of a meal. Elaborate Americanized versions add spices and raisins or currants, and some also include eggs or butter for a softer and more scone-like texture. The loaf can be cut into wedge-shaped quarters for faster baking, which is also traditional in some parts of Ireland. For a more polished appearance, brush the top of the loaf with milk or a beaten egg before slashing it. The crust develops a rich golden color and the slashed areas remain pale, providing a visually striking contrast.
Pam .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.
