Irish Soda Bread

a Saint Patrick's Day treat

I guess I can't have a company with the name of Nelley Kelley and not have a little posting on St. Patrick's Day - can I?  So here is a fail-proof recipe for Irish Soda Bread to help you celebrate the day.

Simple from your pantry ingredients

True Irish Soda bread is made from simple ingredients that you would tend to have on hand in your larder or pantry: flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk.  My recipe has a few extras to moisten the bread and kick up it's taste a bit.  I particularly love the addition of a little orange zest suggested by Ina Garten - the Barefoot Contessa.  She has a great Irish Soda Bread recipe in her book: Barefoot Contessa at Home: Every Day Recipes.   In addition to her orange zest, I like to add a dash of vanilla extract to perfume the bread.  Other than the buttermilk, I am sure most every ingredient is already in your pantry.

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

4 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1 extra large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup dried currants or raisins

1 tsp. orange zest

currants

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into your stand mixer.  Cut up the 4 tbsp of cold butter into 1/2 inch dice and sprinkle over dry ingredients. Process ingredients at low speed until butter is incorporated into the flour mixture.

cold butter, diced

In separate bowl combine buttermilk, beaten egg, vanilla and orange zest.  Stir gently to combine.  While mixer is on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and combine.  The mixture will be wet and sticky.

Orange Zest, Buttermilk

Add about a tbsp of flour to the currants or raisins so they will not sink to the bottom of the bread when mixed in.  Add the currants and briefly stir.  Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead into a round loaf.

Irish Soda Bread Dough

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the loaf onto it.  Using a serrated knife, cut a cross into the top of the bread.  Bake the bread in a 375 degree oven for approximately 50 minutes.  The loaf is done when a cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry.  

Fresh from the oven

Cool the bread on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.  

 Enjoy this easy bread with a cup of tea this afternoon or toast some up for breakfast in the morning.

I am having mine with my friend, Jo's orange cardamon marmalade.  She dropped some off the other day and it just so happens to be the perfect companion to the orange zest Irish soda bread.  

Enjoy it and Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!

See you soon,

Ellen