The Best (No, Really) Irish Soda Bread

But what exactly is soda bread? According to Chef Sarah, "Some say it resembles more of a scone than bread since it doesn’t contain any yeast. You can find hundreds of different recipes — some include caraway seeds and others even add eggs. If you ask true Irish lads or lasses, they’ll tell you soda bread must have only four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk." Baked with caraway seeds, currants and even a shot of whiskey, Chef Sarah's recipe departs from the original yet still captures the essence of this classic Irish goody. With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, there's no better time to master Irish soda bread.

Recipe

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 cup dried currants
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, or combine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice for every cup of milk
• 1/4 cup Irish whiskey
• Flour for kneading

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed to combine. Raise the speed to medium low and add the butter, a piece or two at a time, until all of the butter has been incorporated and the mixture is crumbly. This will take 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the caraway seeds, honey, orange zest, currants and, finally, the buttermilk and whiskey. Mix until just combined.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times to smooth the mixture into a round loaf and transfer to a nonstick baking sheet. Make a cross hatch design (just breaking the skin of the dough) on top of the loaf with a knife and sprinkle with a bit of flour.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf is set and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Let the bread cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Learn to bake like a pro in Artisan Bread Baking or Pastry & Baking Arts at ICE.