Irish Soda Bread

I am not even a little bit Irish. I laugh when I see clearly non-Irish people (think small Asian women like myself) decked out in green top hats and shamrock Mardi Gras beads on St. Patty's Day. Nevertheless, I suppose the holiday has become a celebration ingrained in American culture, which is completely fine by me. I am certainly not one to turn down a Murphy's Irish Red or Guinness midweek.

My first exposure to the magic of St. Patrick's Day was in elementary school. Every March 17th, Patricia Ceccarelli's mom would pack Irish Soda Bread for Pat to share with the class. The combination of the sweet bread and the barely solid butter (it had been softening all day in a tupperware) at the end of the day was ecstasy. I knew nothing about the holiday, nor did I care, but DAMN, that bread was good.

Ever since Patricia stopped being my classmate, I have always made sure to find Irish Soda Bread in March. Maciek, a family friend and caretaker of mine for many years, would pack me Irish Soda Bread slices--pre-buttered!!!!-- for lunch in high school around St. Patty's Day. Whenever Middlebury dining serves it, I always steal a loaf. This year, I decided to try my hand at the time-honored Irish tradition. Thank's to Marilyn's Hippie Bread book, I was able to make one of the best loaves I've ever tried-- it's crunchy on the outside, but rich, soft, and crumbly on the inside. I will definitely be making this recipe all year round for breakfast and teatime bread.



Recipe for Irish Soda Bread from The Garden Way Bread Book (the best Hippie Bread Book ever, really. I recommend buying it, especially if you are a bread beginner.)

Ingredients

- 3 cups unbleached white flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, cold
- 2 cups raisins or currants (or less if you don't want it to be very raisiny)
- 1 eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup buttermilk

1. Sift (or just combine) the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

2. Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the bowl. Cut into the mixture with a pastry blender until the flour and butter combine to make pea-size lumps. Alternatively, you can do this in a food processor if you have one.

3. Toss in the raisins and/or currants.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until it becomes very frothy. Add the honey and whisk until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and whisk one last time to make sure the mixture is homogeneous.

5. Little by little, add the wet mixture to the butter, flour, and raisin mixture. Use two forks to toss the dough and distribute the liquid evenly. The dough will come together as a lumpy mixture, but this is good. It shouldn't be totally smooth and it's okay if everything isn't evenly incorporated. The dough should be moist, but not excessively wet.

6. Spoon the dough into a greased cast-iron skillet, casserole dish, or pie plate. I used a pie plate because that's what we have, and it worked just fine, even if it's a little nontraditional. Smooth out the top with a wooden spoon and place into a 350 degree oven for one hour. The bread is done when it is totally browned on the top and is set in the middle. If you aren't sure that it's done, stick a toothpick in the middle to check for raw dough. Or, cut out a slice. Or, just take it out and toast any pieces that may be a little raw. It's all going to be delicious.

Normally, I slather my bread with butter, but this recipe is so rich and moist that I really didn't need or want it. Eat it on its own for breakfast, snack, or tea. I enjoyed mine with a tall glass of milk. As the Garden Way suggests, "serve it to a lot of people so you won't eat it all yourself."




Peace, love, and Irish Soda Bread,

Morgan

P.S.: Sorry there aren't any pictures of the whole loaf-- Mar and I attacked it immediately.