I wish you all a most wonderful St Patrick’s Day…

Today I am sharing the recipe I use when I bake soda bread with raisins. This is a super easy, no fail recipe that I have used for years.  It is very delicious, especially when it is warm and fresh from the oven and then slathered with some Irish butter. This makes one large loaf, or you can make a few mini loaves, add big green ribbons and give them as gifts to your neighbors and friends.   I make this all year round and I always double the recipe and put one loaf in the freezer (if it survives my children and their hunger).

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

• 450g /1lb unbleached flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 25g /1oz fine sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 2oz butter cubed (optional)
• 50g /2oz rasins (optional)
• 400ml /14 fl oz buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 375F /190C.

Mix the flour, soda, salt and sugar together in a bowl.  Rub the butter into the flour mixture untill it dissappears.  Add the buttermilk and mix together.  This can be done by hand but I used the dough hook on my kitchenaid.

Place the mixture on to a baking pan lined with parchment paper or a baking liner and then sprinkled with flour.  Form the bread into a round shape.  It is very important to cut a cross into the loaf to allow it to bake evenly. Then you must puncture each quadrant.

Place into the preheated oven for 20 minutes.  Lower the heat to 325F/170C for a further 20 minutes, or until it is cooked.  The loaf should have a hollow sound when you tap the bottom. Wrap the loaf in a clean kitchen towel and allow to cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!

♥Criona