It’s March! Um, where did the time go?
I’ve been thinking about the holidays coming up this month – including St. Patrick’s Day, which is TODAY! If you know me, you know I love the holidays and you know I love to celebrate and recognize them with food (among other things). I think food is a wonderful – and easy – way to bring some “festive” to your home. I mean, ya gotta eat anyway, right?
Growing up, our St. Patrick’s meal of choice was corned beef. My husband is not so much a fan (*insert eye roll here). So, now I make Shepherd’s Pie. But, before I knew that Zach didn’t much care for corned beef (how weird is that?), I made it and I made Irish Soda Bread for a side. Well, my mastery of said bread didn’t impress him either – traditionally, it’s made with Caraway seed, which is very earthy (think Rye bread) and not his speed. So, I made some tweaks and came up with a slightly sweeter version that is now a hit in my home.
I started with a very easy, traditional recipe from Martha Stewart (linked here) and made some swaps and tweaks. Here’s what I came up with:
I went for swapping out the raisins for currants, and soaked them in orange juice for a little bit before continuing with the rest of the recipe. The result is a touch less “earthy” and a bit sweeter (without actually being sweet).
A few hours at a minimum before you’re ready to bake, pour the orange juice over the currants and cover lightly with plastic. Allow them to sit and ponder life for at least 4 hours – overnight is great.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl (I LOVE my Mason Cash bowl), combine the dry ingredients with a whisk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and slowly drizzle into the milk/egg mixture while mixing.
Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk/egg/butter mixture and combine a little before adding in the currants and juice (don’t drain the currants). Mix until combined – the dough will be sticky (get ready for messy hands)!
Generously flour a clean surface and transfer your dough. Cover with flour and have plenty available to supplement while you’re kneading. Adding flour as needed to prevent sticking, knead for 3-5 minutes or until the dough comes together without sticking to your surface. Form into approximately a 9 inch round and transfer to a pre-buttered baking sheet.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush over the top of the dough. Use a sharp knife to make an X in the middle. Bake for 40-60 minutes (yes, that’s a long range, but every loaf and oven is different, so start with 40 minutes and adjust as needed) until a tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve with some butter. Enjoy!
You can add this to your St. Patrick’s Day dinner or have with an afternoon cup of tea – even with breakfast! It’s versatile and will keep on your counter for a few days! A great bang for your buck and the perfect introduction to break-making.
I hope you have “luck” (see what I did there?) with this recipe! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Sharon
Irish Soda Bread
Notes
You will want to prep the currants a few hours before starting this recipe.
You can substitutesome of the orange juice for orange liqueur.
A sweet jam or jelly would also go well with this bread!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup currants
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- In a small bowl, pour the orange juice over the currants, gently stir, cover with plastic and allow to sit for 4-12 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, eggs and buttermilk.
- Add the wet ingredients and currents with juice (do not drain) into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined (dough will be very sticky).
- On a generously floured surface, knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, until smooth, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Form a ball (about 9 inches) and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter and using a sharp knife, make a X in the center of the dough.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve plain or with butter.
